Getting married and having kids is not for everyone. Rather, I'd say we should do more as a society to encourage people to think very hard about these decisions

Getting married and having kids is not for everyone. Rather, I'd say we should do more as a society to encourage people to think very hard about these decisions rather than continue to treat them as standard operating procedure. I had a crappy homelife as a kid and I believe that caused me to really want to create a contented adulthood, which included children. Actually, from the time I was just a little kid I was called upon as a mentor to other children, by the time I got to high school I was a camp counselor, was teaching in an evening pre-school program for abused children, etc. So from an early age I found myself in a parent-like role. My kids are my world, but I don't believe for a minute that everyone would find the experience as rewarding.