I don't think people should have kids because they otherwise lack meaning, but it's absolutely true that kids change you in ways you would never have believed. If you think you might want kids but aren't sure, just do it.

> I don't think people should have kids because they otherwise lack meaning

I'm past the age where I can (or rather should have) kids and I have to say, the past decade or so I'm more and more thinking that people SHOULD have kids to have (more) meaning in their life. Put it another way, I've begun thinking that having children is a nice way to have a default baseline of meaning in your life. I really see that with all my friends, who all have kids.

> have kids because they otherwise lack meaning

That's how life on earth worked for 3 billion years. I think that assuming humans are somehow above that is unwise. We're not.