According to new research, older parents are happier than younger parents. It seems that before the age of 30, parents with children are less happy than people without children. However, by age 40, the trend shifts so that people with children are happier. Additionally, the researchers found that this varied a lot by culture - in cultures where most support later in life depends on family, people had more positive associations between children and happiness, whereas in cultures where most support is public, children and happiness were less closely associated.
Interesting stuff, huh? I think this is a little bit like finding research that supports chocolate as being good for your health - it just makes sense to me. There's so much to do in your 20s that having kids could prevent you from getting to enjoy as thoroughly, whereas having children, cultivating a family and a life focused on that family is a huge part, culturally in the US, of our late 30s/early 40s.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Come, my love
we have mountains to climb
wilderness to wander
-Saul Williams
No comments:
Post a Comment