I read this article in the NY Times today. Researchers trying to resolve the debate on whether there is a correlation between happiness & having kids. This is their interesting conclusion:
"The most striking findings revolved around parenthood and age. Whether it is a function of exhaustion, bickering over diapers or something inherently unpleasant about raising little children, the data doesn’t say, but parents under 30 are decidedly less happy than their child-free peers. Then, once parents hit 40, the relationship reverses and people with children are cheerier than those without."
The finding is not surprising, although I think its too west-centric. It would be interesting to see whether Asian parents under 30 enjoy their life as parents more than their western counterparts. The more individualistic the society you live in, the more likely you would perhaps be to resent the loss of personal freedom that happens when you have kids?
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4 comments:
Hmmmm! I will like to know from Asian parents under 30 too. I am gonna be 30 soon and I still do not know if I want to be a parent yet! I am sure a part of me will resent the personal freedom lost but then wouldn't the joys of parenthood almost make up for it??? I DO NOT KNOW! and my Asian parents are obviously not very pleased about my reservations!
The answer lies in...how desirous the under 30parents were to have kids?Thats changes everything.
I also wish we could just wish away the whole body-clock-ticking phenomenon! :)
@ Moi - Unfortunely, there's only one way to find out whether you like having kids! :) But there are people who have absolutely no maternal/paternal instincts & then enjoy parenthood thoroughly when they do become parents. We were one of those lucky ones! :)
@FJ - Well, I'm not quite sure that's true. Once you are a parent the life-change always takes you by surprise (whether you planned the baby or conceived it accidentally)- and I am talking about both the positive & not so positive changes.
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