A Bundle of Joy: Does Parenting Really Make Us Miserable?
46 Pages Posted: 12 Jul 2011 Last revised: 17 May 2012
Date Written: May 16, 2012
Abstract
Previous research suggests that parents are less happy than non-parents. We critically assess the extant literature and reexamine the relationship between parental status and happiness using the GSS and LSS. We find that estimates of the “parental happiness gap” are sensitive to the inclusion of standard covariates, parents are becoming happier over time relative to non-parents, and non-parents' happiness is declining absolutely. These results are consistent across two datasets, apply to most sub-groups, and are robust to specification checks. Finally, we present evidence that suggests that children may inoculate parents against some social and economic forces that are reducing happiness.
Keywords: parents, happiness, life satisfaction, subjective well-being, General Social Survey (GSS), and DDB Lifestyle Survey (LSS)
JEL Classification: D60, D10
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?
Recommended Papers
-
Subjective and Objective Indicators of Racial Progress
By Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers
-
Subjective and Objective Indicators of Racial Progress
By Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers
-
Subjective and Objective Indicators of Racial Progress
By Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers
-
Subjective and Objective Indicators of Racial Progress
By Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers
-
Subjective and Objective Indicators of Racial Progress
By Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers
-
Subjective and Objective Indicators of Racial Progress
By Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers
-
Subjective and Objective Indicators of Racial Progress
By Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers
-
Trends in the Happiness of Single Mothers: Evidence from the General Social Survey
By John Ifcher and Homa Zarghamee