"Us" are religious Jews. "Them" is mostly everybody else.
I just read an article on a website which presented a whole "pilpul" about the ideal number of children to have. The unspoken but very clear premise of this article was that the ONLY reason to have children is because they make you happy and fulfill your needs. Thus, you decide on the number of children you are going to have based on how many are going to make YOU happiest. Of course, if you feel that you can be happy without children then there is no reason to have any.
The "Selfie generation". It is ALL about ME.
This of course is why so many people have no moral qualms with abortion. If I don't believe at this time that the baby will make me happy, then I will crush it before it comes out. "Problem" solved.
This is also a dangerous attitude because it can lead to much anger and resentment towards children when they are not "doing their job" of bringing the parents joy. And what child is 100 percent perfect at doing that?? None.
We have children because creating a human being is an act of G-d and raising him or her to serve Hashem is the highest act of service.
Hashem explain why he LOVES Avraham [Breishis 18-19]:
כִּ֣י יְדַעְתִּ֗יו לְמַ֩עַן֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְצַוֶּ֜ה אֶת־בָּנָ֤יו וְאֶת־בֵּיתוֹ֙ אַֽחֲרָ֔יו וְשָֽׁמְרוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה לַֽעֲשׂ֥וֹת צְדָקָ֖ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט לְמַ֗עַן הָבִ֤יא יְהֹוָה֙ עַל־אַבְרָהָ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֖ר עָלָֽיו:
"For I have known him [Rashi - love him] because he commands his sons and his household after him, that they should keep the way of Hashem to perform righteousness and justice, in order that Hashem bring upon Avraham that which He spoke concerning him."
Remember - your kids aren't "nachas machines". We HOPE they give you nachas but often there is also quite a bit of heartache as well. And that is JUST FINE. Part of our life task of raising these holy Jewish souls to continue the tradition.
