This sub inspired me to think about why I want kids so bad, and it kinda scares me in hindsight

So I'm currently in a happy relationship with my girlfriend (25F) of two years, and we've been compatible in every aspect. We've been thinking about kids, and our plan was to start having kids sometime after we settle down in our careers (we're both in university right now).<br><br>To make a long story short, I began lurking this sub out of curiosity, and in doing so I began to realize that I've never put much thought into why I want to become a parent. It wasn't until I saw this post that it really sunk in (paraphrased)<br><br>"If you want to be a dad so bad, go be a dad! There are a million kids in the foster care system who need a loving parent."<br><br>This struck a chord with me, and I think I came to a disturbing realization: I don't want to be a father because I want to take care of a kid and watch them grow, I want to be a father because I want a kid who will do anything I say, and who will think of me as an idol.<br><br>The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it's true. I've always pictured myself as being a kid who grew up in a happy home with happy parents (this is 100% true), and one day my kids would come to me and ask why I'm such a good father, and I'd be able to tell them it's because I had such good role models. I think the idea of having a kid who would do anything I ask of them, and who would look up to me as a role model, is what was influencing my desire to be a parent.<br><br>In reality, if I were to foster or adopt a kid who needs help, there's no guarantee that they would think of me that way, and the kid would likely have need for a lot of help that I'm not equipped or prepared to give.<br><br>So now I'm second-guessing whether I should be a father at all. Am I screwed up for thinking this way? Should I get therapy? I'm really lost right now, and I don't know where to turn.<br><br>**TL;DR:** Asking myself why I want kids so bad made me realize that my reasons for wanting kids are pretty shitty and selfish.