Though I agree that people should choose for themselves whether or not to have children, my initial reaction to some of your reasons is that many aren’t based on truth, but rather misconceptions about having children stated by people who aren’t parents. Yes, I have kids (now young adults), no I don’t regret them, but we’ve never gone to Disney and never wanted to. We’ve never accumulated so much “kid shit” that others have looked on in horror. I don’t count dollars invested in them any more than I’d count dollars spent on my spouse or my own upkeep. Sleep? Well, yeah . . . I have to agree with you on that one. We all love our sleep.

But honestly, it’s kind of insulting to imply intellectual atrophy will set in if you have kids. Your brain is what you make of it. Do you hire out your laundry because it’s not emotionally stimulating? Laundry happens, and housecleaning happens, and all those mundane things happen whether children are in the picture or not, and your brain doesn’t waste away because you have a mop in your hand. And worrying about porn and disease and all the unknown is speculation based on fear — you deal with it whether it’s a child or a spouse or a friend going through it.

All that said, I think you do have some valid points, and the biggest one is this: NO ONE should tell you that YOUR decision is wrong for you. You won’t miss what you don’t have, and that’s especially true if you don’t have a driving desire to have children. You can live a contented, fulfilling life without children, just as you can with them. But the decision is up to you, and everyone else just needs to butt out.