Indeed, an act of parenting makes most people about as happy as an act of housework.

Using a broad definition of both "parenting"and "housework", I find that they are often indistinguishable, since we often do the housework (defined to include gardening, animal husbandry, shopping and home repairs) together.

Mostly they are quite pleasurable activities. Of course, sometimes they are a pain, but that is the minority. Washing dishes is not unpleasant when you are talking to another person.

I think you identify why parents often do not like their children when you say "If personal needs aren’t met when a child is young... " Given society as it stands today, parents do not meet the needs of their young children, having shipped them off to preschool at a ridiculously young age. And day care before that.

The current mode of both parents working outside the home, then returning from work tired without the energy to do much more than be a passive consumer of entertainment (mostly TV) must be a huge factor in this. Parents are unable to enjoy their children, they do not have the energy.

Their children learn this behavior as well. Being a passive consumer is what they know. Since they do not get parental attention they demand substitutes in the way of expensive toys, which parents give because it is easier than being engaged with the children. All this and more is reinforced by schools, summer camps, jobs and other warehousing institutions.

The children then grow up and adopt the same dysfunctional behavior and the vicious circle repeats.

Breaking this involves taking personal responsibility. Something that modern society in much of the world discourages.

While the Demographic Winter quote is most certainly correct, we can, if we choose, cherry pick from the modern world, taking only those things that give us real benefit.

You are correct, it is a dismal commentary on society. And it is a good thing that we are outside the norm.