A new study claims that couples who have kids are unfortunately less happier than those who don't have children. It doesn't matter what the nature of your job is or what kind of culture you were brought up in, having kids apparently could cost your happiness.
In an article published by Quartz, they reported about the reality of couples finding it hard to be happy ever since they had children. The sad part is that this is not just based on their opinion or general observation, but a study was actually made to confirm this situation. Contrary to popular belief that couples who have kids have found more meaning in their lives and are genuinely happy, this particular study published by social scientists could be a little disheartening.
Social scientists at the University of Texas published this research via the American Journal of Sociology stating that parents, especially in America are not experiencing any joy having their kids around. Other countries are affected too like Finland, Spain, and Russia just to name a few and scientists call this phenomenon the "parenting happiness gap." America on the other hand is the one with the largest group of people who are affected by the so called "happiness gap".
A photo posted by Parenting Wins & Fails (@iparenting) on Sep 30, 2013 at 8:00pm PDT
The people behind the study reported that they usually don't have much information regarding parents and their issues with kids, but part of the basis of their findings is the paid parental leave. It is where they saw the reaction of parents tending to their kids during vacations and holidays. They have observed that countries who have packages that cater to the entire family when it comes to their vacation leaves have no issue regarding happiness. It figures since their family's needs are being met and it does lower the stress level that couples are usually experiencing.
In conclusion, financial matters play a huge role in this study. Do you agree that couples with children are less happy? Are you experiencing the same? Tell us your story in the comments section below.
