Kids is not "always better then no kids". Not having kids means you have less stress & more free time.
Furthermore, there are some tough moral questions you need to answer when creating a living being in this world. It's unfortunate that having kids is the default and there seems to be very little public dialogue about the moral dimensions of it all.
There is something that goes off the rails, when you dont have at least one kid.
Look at people who do not have one in there elder years. Look at them driving around dogs in buggys, dressing them up like replacement toddlers, look at those faces, tell me that they are truely happy.
In the coldwar days, there where a lot of people who argued in a similar line- club of rome, end of days, and so they went and got a vasectomy.
Which you can not easily reverse.
Result: Lots of sad faces, late stage in life. Sometimes logic doesent cut it, and this is one of those moments - dont break the chain of life, daughter/son - is one of this moments.
I dont encourage you to have many kids- one or two should do. But yes, having a navel, that links all the way to the first mamal, and see that history continue, something of one beeing immortal, learning to walk and talk - that is awesome.
the way our society is structured, we need to have kids so someone will be around to do the work when we retire. this practical reality tends to short circuit those debates pretty quickly. it also raises a lot of uncomfortable questions like "I already have a kid, was that cruel?" or "if it's immoral to bring a life into the world, does that imply my own life isn't worth living?". people are quite adept at avoiding uncomfortable thoughts.
Furthermore, there are some tough moral questions you need to answer when creating a living being in this world. It's unfortunate that having kids is the default and there seems to be very little public dialogue about the moral dimensions of it all.