Kids have a tremendous wonder about things, because everything is so new to them -- something a lot of adults lose, but being around children can let you see things "through their eyes" and get some of that sense of wonder and curiosity back. They also have very few inhibitions about having fun, which translates into a tremendous capacity for joy. (Of course, they have a tremendous capacity for misery as well, especially when they are ill, but you really have to take the bad with the good.) You can learn a tremendous amount about human nature in general by watching and interacting with your kids. The teen years can be kind of a misery, but there are compensations -- like, if you have an evil sense of humor, this is the best time of their lives to whip out those pictures of the chubby little baby in the turtle-shaped bath.... If you can make it through the teenage years, eventually they grow up into adults you can have real conversations with, too; and finally, if all goes well, you will have healthy and mentally sound people who are concerned with *your* care when you are old and feeble. Even though you're more likely to be paying for it than they are, these days, and it's no longer expected that they care for you themselves, hopefully they will care *about* you -- and will be able to stick up for you when you are too tired or ill to fight against incompetence or unacceptable care.

If you bring them up the like most parents, a big benefit is, you'll have plenty of slave labour for the rest of your life. You will actually be A boss, you can tell them what they can do or can't do, you can cook what ya like and they will love it or die of starvation. In fact, YOU have power like GOD. You lose a few benefits by being a parent, like your savings, if you had any, don't matter, ya will go close to bankruptcy anyhow. One benefit you win with kids, is that the taxpayer is going to educate your kid in school where as no kids, you lose this benefit. I just love this parent thing, pain giving birth, no normal sleeping patterens for the next two years, 1000's of nappy changes and washes, then the terrible two's happen, then the cost of going to doctors for whatever, then clothing that needs to be updated ever six months because the kid grows bigger and wider, oh the joy of it all! The kid then starts school and the expense of the fee's and uniform, it's just so wonderful. Then when he/she turns 13 or perhaps younger, the phone bill goes up, new clothes every week, and a bit of talk back, ' why can't I do this, my friend does this and that'! But heck, it is your kid, the Gov say's you cannot smack your kid or else you break the law. By now the police have picked your kid up for prostitution or using drugs, perhaps both. Their name and mug shot appear in the morning papers, shame, shame, shame. The joy's of having a kid today when the Government shoves all the responsibillty on their parents for faults, yet does not let the parents smack or correct a child when young. Yet the law, will jail any law breaker on their first offence. Wonder why I don't have any kids???