Well, as a parent who has to split time between child rearing (2.5 and .5 years old) and writing software, I can tell you that most of this article is true. Th

Well, as a parent who has to split time between child rearing (2.5 and .5 years old) and writing software, I can tell you that most of this article is true. The problems are many: for me the two main problems was about 17 years of independent life and good times funded by good wages. Travelling, sports, parties, all-night coding sessions. All of these have been put into the too-hard basket. The second main problem is the idealised view of parenting fed to us through movies, TV shows and advertising. You're meant to enjoy the bonding times, but running the bath for the 800th time to bathe a wriggling toddler is tedium no matter which way you slice it, and cleaning up poo for the thousandth time is horrid work you wouldn't wish on anyone. The keys to success I think are a rock-solid partnership going into the child raising, family support available, and lack of other stresses like housing or income or illness. When your tired you just can't handle things in the same way, and with young children in the house, you're going to be tired as you battle to maintain your adult habits of staying up late while children take up your waking hours. Once you've done it, there's no going back, so you have to work on finding a new level of happiness and honestly say goodbye to your old lifestyle for a while. Friends will slip away, interests will be put on hold, careers might slide for a few years, your house will be messy and ruined. That's the choice you've made, might as well find new ways of getting joy.