I can't play without children.

I've never been one of those players who spends hours creating their perfect Sim and perfect house. Like you, I'm a family oriented player. When I create a new family I already have an idea in my head of how I want things to go roughly, what jobs I want the couple to do (usually start with a couple), and creating the Sim/house just gets boring as I want to play!! Plus my interior design skills are terrible, my houses all end up looking pretty similar, so often I move a family into a pre-made house. I like the challenge of having a lot of kids, and don't find toddlers/children as difficult as some players do (the fact that toddlers can walk instantly, develop skills alone without adult help and can grab a plate of food for themselves makes things much easier in Sims 4).

But that's the beauty of the game. Everybody is different and it allows you to focus on what you want to do. If you want to spend hours designing and creating your ideal house, go for it. If you'd rather have a big family then do it.