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Children ruin everything

By purepedantry on April 9, 2009.

A study discussed over at Live Science confirms what I have always suspected:

An eight-year study of 218 couples found 90 percent experienced a decrease in marital satisfaction once the first child was born.

"Couples who do not have children also show diminished marital quality over time," says Scott Stanley, research professor of psychology at University of Denver. "However, having a baby accelerates the deterioration, especially seen during periods of adjustment right after the birth of a child."

An unrelated study in 2006 of 13,000 people found parents are more depressed than non-parents. Scientists speculate that the problem is partly a modern one, because parents don't get as much help at home as they did in previous generations.

So your saying that a screaming thing waking you in the middle of the night demanding attention (and possibly financial support) isn't the recipe for nuptial bliss? I'm shocked to hear it.

Reminds me of another Dylan Moran sketch I like. (I really am a hack. Posting two Dylan Moran sketches in a month. It's sad really...)

(Video below the fold. NSFW.)

The funniest part is about a minute from the end.

"Then the sexual kidnapping is complete. No touchy-touchy, no kissy-kissy. You two need lots of sleep. I have many questions for tomorrow."

Tags
Haha, a funny
Psychology
children
happiness
parents

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This may help explain the high rate of divorce in some countries.
But our evolutionary history would suggest that there is enough in it for all of us that we continue to do it ( have children) over and over.

By william meller (not verified) on 15 May 2009 #permalink

I have 2 children, 2 girls 7 & 9 and the amount of pleasure they bring into my life far exceeds the difficulties of parenting. I think that people are becoming more selfish and have forgotten that to receive you have to first give.

Of course after a child is born a couple's relationship changes. I think it is people's difficulty in dealing with change that is the problem, but too many blame children.

Children ruin everything they should not happen, couples are happier anyway when there are no children to ruin and screw up there lif's, i have a little brother and when it was just me and my big brother my parent's were happy and did stuff with us, now that my little brother is born they are depressed and sad they say that they love him but I know they hate him as much as I do.