Children Can Bring Immense Happiness

Recent studies have shown that people with children report being happier overall than those without children. However, parents in some countries are happier than others. American parents tend to be less happy than their English or Australian counterparts, one study found. In countries such as Norway for instance, parents reported higher happiness than non-parents—perhaps because of a strong social safety net that eases the burden of child-rearing. The key is the social policies put in place by each country. If the policies help parents manage the responsibility of childcare with the ability to earn an income, then parents will be happier. Children can be challenging and time-consuming, but most parents out there say they are worth the sacrifice. As Psychology Today summarized, recent research has found two trends when it comes to happiness and children: "First, compared with nonparents, parents are becoming happier. Second, nonparents are increasingly reporting lower levels of happiness." Economic and political questions are always a factor, the studies pointed out, but the happiness trend pointed upward for people with children. Another study from Princeton University and Stony Brook University was able to use science to put into data the rollercoaster ride that many parents describe when talking about raising children. Namely, the researchers found that while parents and childless people had similar levels of satisfaction, parents experienced more intense joys (and lower lows) on any given day. Seeing a child grow and engage with the world can bring back a parent's sense of childlike wonder, allowing them to view the world with new eyes. And while challenging, the rewards of raising a child and helping them grow into their best selves is an experience that parents say is hugely gratifying.