To think having kids is now treated like a moral achievement rather than a personal choice?

[DeftQuail]

People act as if parenting gives them automatic wisdom or depth. AIBU to think the cult of motherhood has simply replaced the church?

Ha! I'm.not. im way more stressed than j used to be! 😆

Is that in general or just when dealing with the kids?

what culture?

I haven't noticed anything at all about "dads" but mothers culturally take a huge beating as if they suddenly lose their brain, thinking ability and credibility.

I'd welcome a change giving them wisdom and depth after popping a baby or 2

It really, really doesn't

Choosing to become a parent is a selfish act in itself. And generally speaking many people become more selfish when they become parents, their selfishness just expands to include their family unit.

If you’re a selfish and immature person, having a baby won’t automatically change that. You’ll still be selfish and immature unless you recognise and address your character flaws and do some serious work on yourself.

Really? You only have to read the scores of posts on MN about people and their abusive mothers/parents. How wise, less selfish and more mature did those mothers become?
Infact, there was a thread a while ago and some of the stories that people shared that their parents did to them when they were children were absolutely horrifying.
People have innate characteristics.
In most cases, motherhood actually doesn’t change a persons inbuilt character all that much.

Not true

Some do, but many people put their own free life on hold, and get involved with communities, charities, a lot kids related volunteering- maybe their own kids can benefit to some extend, but it's usually the opposite of selfish.

I'm child-free and I haven't experienced this in real life. I did deliberately build up a social circle of people who aren't judgmental twats though.

I would have definitely said this opinion was more commonplace in the past than now.

I freely admit that I was totally idiot before having children. I had a successful life - career, house, social life, “stuff”. However, I largely lived to work and didn’t have a clue what was actually important.

Having DD massively changed my perspective. I wouldn’t call it wisdom and I don’t espouse it to others. I still have a career, but it’s far lower down the pecking order. Likewise socialising - love it but if I miss out on something, ho hum.

Maybe I’d have reached these conclusions with age anyway, it’s perhaps just growing up (I was nearly 40 when she was born).

But I agree, motherhood doesn’t confer wisdom or moral superiority.

Many cults have replaced the church. But if children really had taken the place of God in the hearts of people we would be far more child centered than we are.

I'm also not sure what you believe the distinction between personal choice and moral achievement is, can you expand please