Childless adults happier than adults with children

" ...  marital satisfaction decreases dramatically after the birth of the first child—and increases only when the last child has left home."  That statement is from Daniel Gilbert's 2006 book "Stumbling on Happiness," where the Harvard professor of psychology looks at several studies on adult happiness.  (Newsweek)

He also ascertains that parents are happier grocery shopping and even sleeping than spending time with their kids. Other data cited by 2008's "Gross National Happiness" author, Arthur C. Brooks, finds that parents are about 7 percentage points less likely to report being happy than the childless.

The most recent comprehensive study on the emotional state of those with kids shows us that the term "bundle of joy" may not be the most accurate way to describe our offspring. "Parents experience lower levels of emotional well-being, less frequent positive emotions and more frequent negative emotions than their childless peers," says Florida State University's Robin Simon, a sociology professor who's conducted several recent parenting studies, the most thorough of which came out in 2005 and looked at data gathered from 13,000 Americans by the National Survey of Families and Households. "In fact, no group of parents—married, single, step or even empty nest—reported significantly greater emotional well-being than people who never had children. It's such a counterintuitive finding because we have these cultural beliefs that children are the key to happiness and a healthy life, and they're not."  (continue reading)

So, if you do not have children, you may want to give this study some thought.

New to the blogroll:  Michael Johns, go check it out.

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Comments

[Americaneocon]

I don't believe this research for a second. Arthur Brooks has done phenomenal multifaced research suggesting conservatives (including families with kids) are comparatively happier than liberals.

[Grouch at Right Truth]

This amplifies what I have said all along.....

HAVE PUPPIES, NOT CHILDREN!

Besides that, just think of all the extra carbon footprints created by those little beggars.