We have a different breed of parents here on JoeUser, though.  They are not a representative sample of the general American parentage.  It depends on where you live, too.  I teach in a town where the median household income is $60,000.  That is not reperesentative of "average."  FORTUNATELY, I teach in the "bad" part of town.  We serve several low-income trailer parks.  This is the part of town where parents are more likely to do the drug thing, not give a rat's ass about their kids, work crazy hours, leave their kids alone, and not be very interested in their academic success any more than I like their kid and take care of their kid for them when they're at school.  I have to BRIBE students to bring back homework, because they don't do it.

The parents here at JU tend to be involved, and tend to think that building character and such belongs in the home.  And it does.  I think sometimes people here on JU forget that lots of other parents and families aren't like them.  In an ideal world, people would care what their kids are doing in school, and would get a start on academic things before they even came to Kindergarten, and would teach their kids the difference between right and wrong.  I wish things were ideal, but they're not.

Don't let anyone tell you that you need to, should or should not have kids. The fact that you are honestly looking into yourself and dealing with honest, real feelings is amazing. I always wanted a passel of kids too but ended up with just one. I do have moments when I wish I'd had more but mostly I am grateful to have made it through childrearing without (hopefully) doing too much damage. She's 19 and living on her own and loving it.

I think at any age, these are natural questions to ask yourself. Funny because I am now on the other end of this phase, facing a hysterectomy and I'm still asking myself the "is that all" question. You'll make the best decision for you. You just need to keep being honest with yourself and you'll be just fine.

Hi Marcie!  Long time no "see."

Anywhoo, I feel EXACTLY the same way!  I really waffle on this subject quite frequently.  Like yourself, I love kids and love teaching, but I'm  just afraid that I will not be the best parent.  Even though I basically play a mother type figure 5 days a week from 8-3, I just don't know if it's something I can handle 24-7.  It just seems like a huge responsibility that I am not sure I can handle.