Being "the village" for someone else's kid(s) can give a decent idea of what to expect. And by that I mean actually moving in and helping 24/7 for a months at a time, not just babysitting one evening here and there. Did that one full year for a sibling. I'm told your outlook is different when it is your own kid, and I did ok but it definitely taught me that signing up for the full 18 years isn't for me.