Choosing a path to retire is not easy, because we have to prepare carefully to live life in the future, from daily needs to monthly needs, and have to prepare for children's education needs to health costs, there are many things we have to prepare for us to take the path to retirement, because when we take the path to retirement it is not as easy as we imagine, unless we already have sufficient savings, such as sufficient investment, lots of savings, and assets that produce monthly income.
You mentioned an interesting point: children's education. And I think we can go ahead and also include family's expenses.
For an individual in a situation like that, it will be much more difficult for him to retire early, compared to a single individual who doesn't have to spend with a wife and children in a daily basis.
Therefore, if someone's goal in life is to retire earlier, he should think very carefully before marrying and having children, because it will indeed compromise his finances a lot for the rest of his life, or at least until these children become adults and independent.
To retire early with a whole family over your shoulders is almost impossible nowadays, unless you already have a considerable patrimony and a high paying job to supply all your needs and still allow you to save some money in the end of each month.