Does parenthood make parents happy?

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We will first finish discussing the duties adult children have to their parents (see previous post)

Sonya Lyubomirksy (psychologist) tries to solve the "parenthood paradox"--

Although achieving every other human motive (like satisfying thirst or hunger, gaining social status, or finding Mr. Right) makes us tremendously happy, having children appears to be the one exception. Indeed, research suggests that despite most people's widely-professed desire to have children, parenthood is associated with decreased, rather than increased, well-being. To offer just one often-cited example, working women asked to recall their previous day in excruciating detail rated taking care of their children as just slightly more positively than the unpleasant tasks of commuting and performing household chores.

Her solution to the paradox, part I -- why are parents less happy?

1. Having children fulfills one basic need but interferes with fulfilling other basic needs (sleep deprivation, less time with friends, less time with partner, diminished self-esteem, less success at work for primary parent).
2. Young children may reduce happiness but adult children increase it (especially adult daughters who remain involved with parents).
3. Ancestors would have raised small children with help of extended family.  Teenagers would have left home much earlier.

Her solution to the paradox, part II -- problems of measurement.

1. People aren't randomly assigned to "parent" and "childless" categories, so there may be something different about the parents that explains why they are less happy.
2. Perhaps we should focus on: (a) Sublime, joyous, meaningful moments (even if few); overall greater life-satisfaction; (b) sense of legacy and identity; raising children "contributes to the story we tell about our lives"; (c) wider range of emotions and experiences (pride, anguish, etc.).

Bryan Caplan (economist) on the happiness gap--

• General Social Survey data.
• "People with one child instead of none are 5.6 percentage points less likely to be very happy."
• "Each child after the first reduces your probability of being very happy by a mere .6 percentage points."
• He says:  small impact!
• 91% of parents would have children over again.  Contrast:  24% of childless people over 40 would be childless over again.
• Why are parents less happy?  Because they work too hard!  Parenting makes very little difference to a child's future.
• Identical twins raised apart turn out just as similar to each other (in many respects) as identical twins raised together.
• Parents affect religion and political viewpoint, but little else. 

Colbert and Daniel Gilbert (Harvard psychologist) discuss why children don't increase parental happiness:

The Colbert Report
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