Having Kids Has Been Far Easier and Better than I Expected

Nat Eliason · 18 Sept 2025

Nat Eliason did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
Attitude, not the surrounding circumstances, determines how hard parenting feels.

Their wordsnone of the imagined deficiencies in your situation are more limiting than your attitude.
Our reading
Extensive preparation before having kids is unnecessary since parents have months to adjust as needs arise.

Their wordsThis is part of why I think "getting ready" to have kids is, frankly, ridiculous.
Our reading
The difficulty of raising more children increases gradually enough that parents adapt to it without noticing.

Their wordsIt rarely gets hard all at once. You slide into the new level of challenge without really noticing it.

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