Opinion: Parenthood Does Not Guarantee Happiness, Study Suggests
A new study published in Evolutionary Psychology, led by Menelaos Apostolou, analyzed over 5,000 participants across ten countries and found no significant evidence that parenthood increases emotional wellbeing. The research examined both hedonic (daily emotions) and eudaimonic (purpose) wellbeing, revealing largely unchanged states for parents compared to non-parents, with Greek mothers being a notable exception. Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett argues that this question is fundamentally flawed because it treats children as static appendages rather than complex relationships. She contends that comparing parallel lives is impossible and that parenthood involves a mix of profound joy and intense vulnerability. Cosslett highlights the societal pressure on women to view care work as wholly fulfilling, ignoring the hard labor and loss of freedom involved. She suggests that while loving children brings meaning, it also exposes parents to deep sorrow and responsibility. The article critiques the simplistic metric of happiness, emphasizing that the human condition involves both pain and joy, and calls for honesty about the challenges of intensive mothering and the reality of long-term care work.
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Opinion: Parenthood Does Not Guarantee Happiness, Study Suggests
A new study published in Evolutionary Psychology, led by Menelaos Apostolou, analyzed over 5,000 participants across ten countries and found no significant evidence that parenthood increases emotional wellbeing. The research examined both hedonic (daily emotions) and eudaimonic (purpose) wellbeing, revealing largely unchanged states for parents compared to non-parents, with Greek mothers being a notable exception. Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett argues that this question is fundamentally flawed because it treats children as static appendages rather than complex relationships. She contends that comparing parallel lives is impossible and that parenthood involves a mix of profound joy and intense vulnerability. Cosslett highlights the societal pressure on women to view care work as wholly fulfilling, ignoring the hard labor and loss of freedom involved. She suggests that while loving children brings meaning, it also exposes parents to deep sorrow and responsibility. The article critiques the simplistic metric of happiness, emphasizing that the human condition involves both pain and joy, and calls for honesty about the challenges of intensive mothering and the reality of long-term care work.
The Guardian