> Surely a lot of this can be experienced by associating with parents and their children rather than having them yourself, right? No, not really. Also not the

> Surely a lot of this can be experienced by associating with parents and their children rather than having them yourself, right? No, not really. Also not the same as being the cool uncle/aunt, though that can give you a lightweight preview. I know because I went through this myself, I was so involved with my nephews I became their favorite uncle by far, and to this day they still remind me of this. In reality, only being an actual parent can give you the true experience. Nothing else comes close.