I have 3 children, two of whom have psych issues. If you have children, you need to be on the lookout for behavior changes signaling dep or mania, and don't go into denial when it shows up. I was in denial when my first started showing symptoms, and treating her as if she didn't caused her tremendous pain re: bad choices made while manic.

Also, I don't think I should have been home alone with my kids. They would have been better off in a small daycare situation where they'd have a "normal" role model some of the time. I spend a lot of time regretting what a lousy mother I was when my kids bring up crazy stuff I did that put them at risk or embarrassed them.

Having children knowing you have a mental illness is a decision that is a bit more complicated than the decision an average person would make. Don't do it impulsively.