Having children: synonymous with happiness?

Studies affirm that the birth of a baby affects the couple's relationship and well-being.

Having children can be one of the happiest experiences in a person's life, but not necessarily in 100% of cases. in a person's life, but this is not necessarily the case 100% of the time. Although in today's society there is constant pressure for motherhood to be seen as a blessing, something wonderful, and always as something positive, the truth is that there are media voices that are beginning to talk about the less idyllic aspects of motherhood, and explain to us that all that glitters is not gold.

Recently journalist Samanta Villar has stirred up controversy due to some statements for the ABC newspaper where she expressed that after her recent maternity she is not happier than before and that having children "is to lose quality of life". The attacks and criticism from social networks for these statements are a clear example of the idealization of motherhood.

One of the areas that can be most influenced by the birth of a new family member is marital satisfaction. The organization of the couple's system needs to be reviewed and adjusted, and may even be considered a crisis. This is because that baby needs all the attention possible, and the couple's relationship takes a back seat.

When it is time to resume the leading role of the romantic relationship, problems such as the loss of intimacy of the couple appear. problems appear, such as the loss of intimacy of the coupleThis can affect communication and sexual relations.

A meta-analysis conducted by Jean M. Twenge, W. Keith Campbell and Craig A. Foster and published in 2003 in the Journal of Marriage and Family shows that the transition to parenthood can:

1. increase stress

The increase in the number of tasks to be carried out by the couple after the baby is born increases their stress level and generates strain on the couple's relationship. The latter is due to less time available for communication.

2. Interfering with the relationship

The presence of the new family member can have a negative impact on the couple's couple's companionship and sexual relations..

3. Role overload

By increasing the tasks to be performed, parents are forced to perform new roles to the point of being overwhelmed. to the point of being overwhelmed by them.

4. Creating negative evaluations of the marriage

The authors argue that there are also cases in which the birth of a baby can produce positive effects on marital satisfaction, so they indicate that some variables may mediate the relationship.

The meta-analysis consisted of 97 articles, which correspond to a total sample of 47,692 participants. The results showed that:

1. relationship satisfaction decreases 2.

People with children had lower partner satisfaction in 90 of the 97 items analyzed. Fifty-five percent of people without children indicated that they were satisfied with their relationship, compared to 45% of people with children.

2. The more children the less satisfied

Couples with a greater number of children report a higher level of satisfaction with their relationship. worse marital satisfaction than couples with fewer children.

3. Affects women's satisfaction more

In women, with childbearing motherhood decreases marital satisfaction to a greater degree satisfaction in the couple decreases to a greater degree than in men who enter parenthood.

4. The effect increases with socioeconomic status

People with a high socioeconomic status show lower partner satisfaction than those at lower socioeconomic levels. satisfaction than those at lower levels.

Consequences for personal happiness

Regarding personal happiness when a baby is born, a recent article by authors Jennifer Glass, Robin W. Simon, and Matthew A. Andersson published in the American Journal of Sociology analyzing 22 European countries and the U.S. shows that not all countries report lower happiness when people are fathers or mothers.

The U.S. and Ireland are the countries where parents are the least happy, while in countries such as Finland, Norway, France and Spain, people who have children are the happiest. Spain, people with children are happier than those without children. than people without children.

As we have seen, having children can have negative effects on people's quality of life. of people. Loss of satisfaction in the couple, the effect on people's sex life, stress and anxiety are some of the effects that the arrival of a new family member can have on people.