patrick.net

Having kids is easy, taking care of them is hard. It's especially difficult in today's modern world of hazards and net-nannies who oversee a parent's every move. Just keeping kids from destroying their environments (your house, car, school, etc) is difficult, let alone restraining them from killing themselves by accident while also giving them opportunity to grow and explore their world. Add in the activities you are supposed to have them engage in, countless fundraisers for everything from sports teams to their grade school PTA, contributing to college funds, buying clothes and shoes every two months as they destroy or outgrow them, paying for recreation activities, buying larger vehicles and houses to accommodate a growing family, and countless smaller expenses, kids are expensive! It's really difficult to just secure reasonable housing in a good school district without gangs that also has enough space for everyone to not feel cramped and the wife to be happy.
The more kids you have, the harder it all gets.
And should you wish to take the love of your life out for a date, be prepared to drop $60-80 on a babysitter before the costs of said date are counted. And dot think that means you're getting lucky, as by the time you both return home, pay the extortionist, and lock the door, you'll just want to collapse into bed so you have the energy to do it all again the next day.

These days, having children and raising them yourself is a heroic effort. It's much easier to just do your own thing, pay your own way, date around or even get married without tossing a child hand-grenade into the relationship. People have plenty of distractions and entertainments to replace the time sink.

The ironic thing is that if I was to leave the car seat at home while flying somewhere because it's hard enough with a toddler without schlepping a 30lb car seat, and risk putting my toddler in a rental car for a few minutes drive to rent or buy another seat somehwere, betcha ass I'd be pulled over, arrested, face shown on TV as Mr. Bad Dad, and extorted for hundreds or thousands of dollars plus court costs.

I've known parents who let a toddler sleep in the back seat of a car with the windows open on an overcast 60 degree day who had the cops called on them, because they were trying to let their older kid run around the park a bit more.

Meanwhile some welfare Ho is smocking crack and turning tricks 10 feet from her toddler and she goes on to make 5 more kids.

I hear ya on the flying with a car seat issue. It's rough as hell taking it all on the plane, but nice once you get in the seat and can strap your toddler down in their seat for the trip. They stand a good chance of sleeping on the way which is just better for absolutely everyone. In general tho, flying with a toddler of baby is an awful experience, new form of torture.