As a teenager, I wasn’t sure I would ever have children, but here I am today, a father of two. 

Never wanted to own a pet (that lived outside a fish tank), but everyone seems to think I should get one. The wife wants a dog, and still, nurses hope that I will someday agree (but I'm hoping to hold out forever). Everyone I talk to when I tell them about getting a house, asks within the first five sentences when I'm getting a dog.

I’m genuinely surprised at how frequently this comes up in conversation. Why is it not a convincing answer that I have no space or energy in my life for another child?