For a whole host of reasons, you could make a general statement that it is far better for a parent to want a child than it is for a parent to feel saddled with a child that they do not want. But it is a mistake to think that if a parent desperately wants a child, they are going to be a good parent to the child they have. In fact, because of a little-known shadow, it can be a disaster when a parent really wants a child.