Kids do not choose to be born. We can't expect them to serve us when we get old. They owe us nothing. We forced them into this world.
If your kids aren’t suicidally depressive but also don’t love you enough to take care of you in your old age, there’s probably something else they resent you for other than being born in the first place. Which isn’t necessarily your fault—some people are just irrationally resentful. But that is probably the bigger risk to worry about. It’s just that, compared to trusting nursing homes not to become abusive, it’s still a better bet.
It’s also not necessarily about obligation, at least not in the negative sense of the term. I took care of my father during the last year of his life, not out of obligation but out of love. (One might define love as the act of willingly accepting the obligation to care for another, but a willingly accepted obligation is not really the same kind of obligation.)
In any case, the goal is to go into old age having people in your life who are capable of taking care of you and who will choose to do so out of love. Having kids and maintaining a strong relationship with them gives you a good chance of reaching that goal. Institutions, on the other hand, will never love you and will instead just fuck you up with psychoactive drugs for their own convenience.
This is a common misconception, and completely incorrect. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinatalism . This is a possible valid philosophical judgment that implies nothing about depression.
It's kind of funny, my wife's mom abused her horribly and is now upset my wife and I won't take care of her. Treat your investments better lady.
If you’re not abusive children tend to remember the 18 years you gave them fondly and provide assistance for your last few years.
I’m bullish on that strategy, even if there is no contractual guarantee that those kids will return the favor.
Others consider bearing children a gift of life.
That's right - it cannot be given.