Happiness plummets with kids' arrival

[IceBergSLiM]

Happiness Skyrockets with liberal boob check policy.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
Yeah, the baby years sucks---up to about age 3. Ages 4-12 are cool because you get to pal around with them, they're still innocent so they usually don't get into any serious trouble, and you get to do all the things with them you always wanted to do as a kid.

Teens suck because of the constant fighting, angst, and experimentation.

So, have kids, but only 4-12 year old kids.

i disagree.

my son is almost 2. its fun watching him play with toys and he is learning to talk. So hearing him yell "dad" is great. also he is old enough that he enjoys rough houseing around.

i do admit i am not looking foreward to the teen years.

 

[Madwand1]

However, the professor, Dan Gilbert also said:
You couldn?t pay me $100,000 to miss a play date with my granddaughters.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04...html?pagewanted=1&_r=3

Here's a video which provides more background and perspective on the topic.

http://video.google.com/videop...d=-7822696446273926158

I don't doubt that some of these results are useful. However, the area of research as a whole strikes me as, in a word, vain, as I think trying to reduce something as fundamental and varied as the pursuit of human happiness to a collection of articles or speeches or even formal scientific papers is bound to be a vast oversimplification more likely missing the point than hitting it for one.

 

[Dirigible]

Having an infant sucks. Having a kid is a lot of hard work and responsibility that forces parents to miss out on oodles of fun stuff. Plus it's a huge extra financial burden, and lots of extra stress. I would not be at all surprised if this resulted in a lower daily measured "happiness" in myself.

I'd still do it again if faced with the choice.

However, I do think people are dishonest about kids, their happiness levels, and these difficulties. If there were more honesty, a lot of people might (rightfully for them) choose not to have kids.

 

[isasir]

I think some of the same arguments could be made with regard to marriage. Pretty much anything that takes away any freedoms and independence will be some sort of burden that can result in unhappiness.

 

[rivan]

Originally posted by: vi edit
I really don't know anyone that actually enjoys the sleepless nights, hit on the sex life, lack of free time, screaming fits, spit ups, diaper explosions, and overall work it takes to raise an infant.

It's not fun. It's not easy. And absolutely tests every boundary of your patience as a human being.

That said, there are little things that happen every day and even bigger milestones you hit that just make you forget everything about that. I certainly miss the flexible scheduling I had in the evenings, the better sleep, and the extra income that wasn't used on day care and various baby stuff.

But you can't beat the reaction you get from your child when you walk in the room in the morning to get them up and they smile and squeel at you and the feeling of them wrapping their arms around your neck.

I'm very happy, it's just a very different type of happy than I had before kids. I'm rewarded in much different ways than through material goods or personal freedom. Hard to explain unless you have a child of your own.

:thumbsup:

 

[CorCentral]

Originally posted by: Feldenak
More power to you parents...my wife & I are perfectly content being the "cool aunt & uncle".

Amen!

I have 2 sisters and 1 brother. The brother has 2 kids. One of my sisters has 2 and the other sis has 3. Luckily all out of state so I don't have to baby/child sit

I suppose I'm selfish. I'm going to go and play with my expensive toys now

 

[ITJunkie]

For me, that article is both true and false. When my daughter was born I was in a semi-successful local band gigging regularly and enjoying myself immensely. She came along and everything changed. I thought I could still devote the same amount of time to the band and be a father too. Boy was I wrong!

During her first year I think I resented her intruding on something I have worked towards for 12+ years and resented my wife for being happy about it. I never did anything to harm either one if that's what you are thinking...it was all internal. It was right around her first birthday when things with the band started to unravel.

I still remember her first birthday party, she's sitting there in her high chair destroying the cake and it finally hits me that, damn, I'm a father. Call it your epiphany moment if you will.

Anyway, fast forward to today and she is a soon to be 19 yr old and giving me daily fvcking heart attacks! I have a 12 yr old son too. I can say with the utmost honesty that I have never been happier in my life.

 

[drum]

Originally posted by: lokiju
News flash.

People have different opinions.

I disagree.

 

[Phokus]

Wouldn't it be sweet if kids could raise themselves?

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: Phokus
Wouldn't it be sweet if kids could raise themselves?

or at least foot the bill!

 

[pnad]

I can certainly see how a child could make life suck for quite a while if you are 15-19 years old.

I was married for 3 years and 25 years old before my son came along. Sure it can be a frustrating challenge sometimes, but heck, that's life and I happen to enjoy challenges ;-)

Since we were only able to have one child we still play the 'Coolest Aunt & Uncle' roll for our many nieces/nephews.

 

[MrPickins]

There's a reason I've been married 5 years, but have no kids yet.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: vi edit

I'm very happy, it's just a very different type of happy than I had before kids. I'm rewarded in much different ways than through material goods or personal freedom. Hard to explain unless you have a child of your own.

that is the best way to put it.

:thumbsup: