Re: Rich & unhappy? Write a book.
Sorry, Jarhead, I'm with Wab on this one. I wouldn't give too much credibility to the carefully-laid plans of those who aren't parents yet, though, since the reality of night feedings and fussy babies has yet to smack them upside their heads. Kids have a way of completely realigning our priorities, probably making us into better people, and at-home spouses earn far more than money. I wouldn't begrudge anyone the opportunity to become a good parent, however they decide to do it. Kids don't know what they're "missing" and they grow up just fine despite of our attempts to raise them.
Our kid, a childcare veteran since the age of six weeks, dealt with most of life's viruses & communicable diseases before starting elementary school. This opportunity is hard to come by when you're raised at home. The kid hasn't missed a schoolday yet and is proud of a perfect attendance record. My comments about needing to cut school to spend more time surfing with Dad are met with shocked indignation.
I'm currently plowing through "Navigating the Dark Side of Wealth" by Thayer Cheatham Willis, heir to the Georgia-Pacific Company founders. A little too spiritual & too much psychobabble, but plenty of scary stories of very business/money-smart people who apparently neglected to teach their kids about same.
My favorite was the young heiress who stormed out of the house to make her own way (despite Dad's threats to "cut her off") and worked four jobs to make ends meet. Next year she collected up her W-2s, learned how to do her taxes (her first time), and sent the return to the IRS. Unbeknownst to her, the family CPA had also sent in "her" tax return reflecting her K-1 trust income that Dad was "holding". Of course the IRS immediately (& gleefully) audited the entire family and the legal costs rose into the thousands. Dad learned his lesson; he & daughter arrived at a reconciliation shortly afterward.
"Affluenza" (by John De Graaf, David Wann and Thomas H. Naylor) is next on my list. Anyone read it yet? Clearly the best thing we can do for our kids is to educate them on how to make their own money, let them earn their own independent fortunes, and then make sure there's nothing left of ours to inherit.