I regard every bit of it is an unexpected gift, though, as I was told I would not be able to have children without fertility treatments, and possibly not at all. I was very fortunate in that I was able to telecommute when Katie was small, so she didn't have to go right into a day care. I think that being able to breastfeed her and keep her home gave her immune system a healthy start, in addition to having other benefits. I was able to carry her around with me while I worked and cooked and did everything else - I think that gives kids a real sense of security later on. Looking at attachment parenting sites, a lot of people seem to confuse it with permissive parenting, so I'm not wholly comfortable with the label.
Many parents seem to still be children themselves.
This isn't an age thing, although it is more obvious when teenagers have children. It is an issue of maturity. I heard someone say once that birds don't lay eggs on branches, but in nests. They prepare before the eggs are laid. I honestly believe that better planning before parenthood would greatly reduce the number of children who experience various kinds of abuse in our society.