Special repayment, saving or consumption?

I find the discussion somehow pointless, the framework conditions (children or no children, large or small loan, old or newly built) are far too different.
It is not a disadvantage to be debt-free quickly. Now, one can of course imagine who is hit harder by job loss, the person who paid off their house at 41 years old or the one who still has 30 years left to pay. Depending on how high the financing was and how indebted one is after a forced sale, there will be no ice cream for the children for a very long time. To put it provocatively, without wanting to attack anyone here.

The remaining debt honestly interests me very little.

....not today, whether it will always be that way, nobody knows. But yes, you can do it one way or the other and I can understand both.

but I want to live a carefree life as long as my daughter is small – and she is now, not in 10-15 years.

...does a carefree life really depend mostly on available cash?

In this forum, for some, there seems to be only black or white.

yep

As I said: Get some first. Then talk about education. And unnecessary expenses. And weird "everything used to be better" statements.

I know the "used to be" and YES, in my opinion some things were better. Others not. I don’t like any generalizations because they usually don’t apply. Education is a wide field and no one should overstep too far, and what is nowadays considered "good" from a parent’s perspective often leads to ulcers from educators’ or vocational trainers’ point of view. I have experienced very big differences so far. In my opinion, children who also experience renunciation, failure, or unfulfilled wishes from time to time are usually better prepared for life.

Is it reprehensible to enable your children to have everything that is possible within your own standard of living?

I find this approach questionable, because none of us knows whether our children can maintain this/our standard of living or what stress it means for them to have to achieve it themselves one day. Moreover, children do not have to have "the same" as their parents at all. A healthy hierarchy (not coercion, suffering, etc.) in the parental home has proven itself and is necessary. In return, the child has other freedoms and may make many mistakes.

Can children still be well educated?

Of course they can. But that has nothing to do with vacations or financial possibilities;

Now I want to have a nice time with them and that should include the ski holiday or riding and music lessons. I also only live once and don’t know how much time is left – so I don’t always want to run everything on a shoestring. I have an expensive hobby, I treat myself to it. Consciously.

I absolutely understand that. Still, I believe children frankly don’t care whether togetherness costs money. Of course, you can/should treat yourself and definitely not live ascetically. Horse, Legoland, musical etc. are certainly nice, but if you spend more time with children you’ll know that often little is enough for them or often the simple things. For many families with children, Corona is probably such a stress or problem because such usual "events" aren’t possible. In some places, I almost experience panic because the next beach vacation seems to be at risk, as if life without that would be pointless (loosely after Loriot: "A life without a pug is possible but pointless"). But what about without such things if Corona etc. remains permanently or something worse comes? Fortunately, nobody has to live by someone else’s philosophy.

Corona must not be forgotten, many parents had to work and take care of their children. That is what kindergartens and schools normally do. If that went smoothly, someone probably was not doing their job properly. In rural areas it’s still manageable, but with all the creativity, how on earth is one supposed to entertain and tire out children in an apartment? Family life suffered a lot for us and it was exhausting. Not keeping the child occupied. There are plenty of possibilities. But 2 x full-time work + 1 x full-time childcare meant working on weekends, at night, and early in the morning.

...does a carefree life really depend mostly on available cash?

...

I completely understand that. Nevertheless, I believe that children don't care at all whether spending time together costs money. Of course, you can/should treat yourself to things and definitely not deny yourself. A horse, Legoland, musical, etc. are certainly nice, but if you spend more time with children, you know that often little is enough for them or often the simple things.

No, a carefree life does not depend "mostly" on available cash, but it does play such a big role that we have arranged both the size of our house and our financing so that we hardly have to adjust. Money alone does not make you happy, but personally, I do feel stressed when it's tight. Once you have gotten used to a certain standard of living, it is probably difficult for most to give up beloved things like the delivered pizza on Sunday during the crime show. But that, after all, is a matter of attitude; one never had that pizza and considers it a waste, another gladly does without it and instead builds a big house or becomes debt-free faster, and yet others do not want to change their life for a house and do not want to give up certain things.

No one has claimed that children prefer expensive activities or paid togetherness over what is free. But I claim that they also find it cool. As you say, they simply don't care. However, as long as my child asks for things that I myself don't find totally over the top and the money is there, I will not deny it to him on principle. That does not mean the child always gets everything it wants.

only with all creativity, how the hell are you supposed to keep children busy and burn off energy in an apartment?

Maybe it's worth considering why someone (parents/teachers or similar) has to be there to actively "burn off" the children’s energy. I don’t really like that term, as it would mean that otherwise the otherwise just wild children must be brought to rest daily and necessarily by someone until they are tired.
But I do understand you, don’t worry!
I quote a recognized child psychologist who said: "I had a great childhood – my parents never had time."
In general, I find there is too much action from the outside in what I experience. Now I am a few days older myself and can very well see and welcome many significant improvements for children. Still, I vaguely remember that we were never bored and always had to take care of our own play, and we thought that was good.
Nowadays, in my opinion, parents are too close and too often around children, when they should sometimes occupy themselves alone and realize that today they are the second or even no longer playing the violin at all.
I would definitely know and remember today if we had suffered from that.
Children nowadays have inevitably gotten used to many things as standard, which one gladly "grants" them; but as soon as this is missing (Corona...), they painfully miss it. I find that sad for the children.
Not that I was great at it myself, but in retrospect and the current situation, I think about it more often. To me, "luck" and "great time with the children" are often tied too much to vacations, events, parks, etc., which would mean that poorer children couldn’t have that feeling.
Fortunately... that is not the case.

No, a carefree life does not depend "predominantly" on the available cash, but it does play such a significant role that we have designed both the size of our house and our financing so that we hardly have to adjust.

I find that extremely sensible!

No one claimed that children find expensive activities or paid socializing better than those that are free. But I assert that they also find it cool. As you say, they simply don't care. However, as long as my child asks for things that I don't personally find totally over the top and the money is there, I will not refuse it on principle. That does not mean that the child always gets everything it wants.

No, you did not claim that, yet it increasingly happens in daily life nowadays because more money is in circulation. "Finding something cool" would not be my approach; for example, I also thought smoking was cool at age 11. I cannot do much with this term, and it would not be reflected in the parenting style. A child will always ask for everything, I also wanted everything in 1965...... eventually I just stopped asking, because I saw it was not possible. In our family, the father was taken care of first because he brought the money home and he also got the biggest piece of meat on Sundays. I myself did not handle it that way, but looking back, I can understand it and even find something instructive in it.