Here, researchers tracked people over 20 years and found that parents were actually happier after the birth of their second baby. With their first child, life satisfaction dipped for several years, then increased to levels higher than before. But a second child steadily increased happiness.
Other research has showed that while parents are happier in the lead-up and first year after having their first child, there are diminishing returns: the boost of happiness for the second child is half that of the first, and by the third, there's no boost at all.
Child number two or three doesn't make a parent happier. And, for mothers, he found, more children appear to make them less happy—although they are happier than childless women. For dads, additional children had no effect on their well-being in his study.
Researchers at Santa Clara University discovered that parents become happier over time than non-parents. Parents experience increased social connection and well-being over time. Having kids may keep parents from experiencing disconnectedness over time.
The researchers followed a number of families over a 5 year period and monitored their happiness as their families grew in size. The result that they came up with? Having 4 children is the best way to boost your happiness.
An actual study revealed one to two children is the ideal number for “happiness”, but with two you don't have to deal with the aforementioned only child issues.
Four is the magic number
The study reported a greater sense of life satisfaction for large families, too. And I guess it is pretty satisfying when a parent of four children manages to get them out the door on time, adequately clothed; not to mention, that feeling when all four children are asleep at night …
Well, a new study out of Australia's Edith Cowan University is turning all these conventions on their heads with the conclusion that parents with four or more kids are the happiest.
People become more satisfied with being single around age 40. There's a common misconception that older singles are the least happy with their relationship status. But actually, MacDonald's research suggests that starting around age 40, singletons become more satisfied with their solo lives.
Kids generally describe their moms as more positive and less reactive. Kids generally feel they get in more trouble with their dads. Because kids have more contact with their moms, they know their moms better and rely on them for support. Dads are still somewhat of a mystery for many kids.
Stress. A TODAYMoms.com survey of more that 7,000 mothers found that the least stressful number of kids is four, while the most stressful number is three. Scary Mommy blogger Jill Smokler told Today that she wholeheartedly agrees.
With your first kid, it sort of seems like everything takes forever, but the second go-around, you realize just how quickly time passes, for better or worse. Two kids often means twice as many hard parts, but it also means twice as many magical opportunities to watch the little people you love learn and grow.
Across several studies, mothers of one appear to be happiest. Research shows that only children have an edge in key development areas. While once stigmatized, “older” first-time moms (and their children) reap benefits women who first give birth in their 20s are less likely to see.
A plurality (41%) of moms at the end of their childbearing years now report having two kids, while just 14% have four or more children.
Two kids require more time, more attention, and more energy than one, which means you have less of all of those to spend on each other. Date nights, romantic evenings, and even casual conversations are harder to come by. You also have more things to disagree on.
You stress less about chores and money
And in fact, there are plenty of areas where single people stress less than those in relationships. According to a 2005 University of Michigan study, for example, they do less housework than married people.
Being childless can be a personal choice or the fate of infertility. While it does not mean you dislike children, it does allow for more time to invest in other things. Regardless of the reason you do not have children, you can be happy, as life without children can be very rewarding and fulfilling.
Is it normal to be single? "It is absolutely normal to be single, either by choice or because you haven't found what you're looking for," says Battle. According to a 2020 report from the Pew Research Center, about 31% of U.S. adults are single, and half of singles are not looking for a relationship or dates currently.
According to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Western University in Canada, having a third baby won't make you any happier. While parents' happiness increases in the year before and after the first and second children, the birth of third children doesn't see the same increased happiness.
An only child is more content and confident than those with siblings, reports The Observer. Happiness in children declines once there are more siblings in the home, an Understanding Society research study has found.
Trends in ideal family size
Two children is always the most popular choice, followed by three children, four or more children, and one child or no children. Chi-square tests, however, indicate a significant difference in responses over time.
Having a second child is absolutely expected and most people do it. The most common reason people give is that they don't want their child to be lonely. Yet despite how things are in childhood, that's no guarantee that your kids will grow up to be friends.
According to some random online survey, the most stressful number of kids to have is three. In fact, having four is supposed to be less stressful than three kids.
Is it a household of girls, a household of boys, or a mix of the two best for parents? According to a survey conducted by British parenting website Bounty, two girls are considered the best combination for parents to have a happy and harmonious family life.