Abstract
The effect of having a child on happiness will be explored. Twenty families (12 females and 8 males) will be asked on the effect of having a child on their happiness. The participants will be asked to explain the type of life they lived before and after having the children. We shall study the parental happiness based on the trajectories that happened before and after the birth of a child in the family. It is predicted that happiness increases in the years after the birth of the first child then decreases as other children are born. The socio demographic pattern was also seen as a factor that influences this pattern.
Introduction
Most of the researchers have agreed that the birth of a child can have an effect on the happiness of the parents. Most of the women look forward to the birth of their first child hence the thought of holding the tiny one elicits joy in their hearts (Caplan, 2009). As such, they make early preparations to ensure that the child is received is a good and stable environment. On the other hand, the men prepare for the arrival of the child by making the necessary arrangements. Empirical studies have shown that this time of waiting creates a strong bond between the parents since they are filled with expectation regarding the new bundle of joy.
We analyze how the children are able to influence the happiness of the parents in different situations. For instance, in a situation where the parents have decided through mutual consent to have a baby and the economic costs that are associated with raising the child. It is important to understand the reasons as to why this event influences the parental well-being and happiness after the birth of the child. Recent studies have shown an association between the timing of a child’s birth and the happiness of the parents. For instance, if a child is born when the parents are undergoing harsh economic challenges, then it will have an influence in their happiness. They will feel burdened by the added responsibilities that come with the birth of a child.
Additionally, the expectations on the sex of the child have been found to have an influence on the happiness of the parents. In a situation where let us say the parents expected the birth of a boy child, the arrival of a girl might affect their happiness. Gender-based expectations have been pre dominant in developing nations die to the stereotype associated with the sex of the child. The issue of preconceived gender expectations may also cause disagreements in these societies especially when the children are of the same gender within that specific household.
Several studies have highlighted the effects of first-born child on happiness. These studies have significantly varied have looked at the subject of populations whose income is not steady yet have given birth. In one of the studies, the parents were asked to rate the rate of happiness in the birth of a child at a time when the income was low. The males were especially unhappy since they felt this situation would overburden them due to increased costs. The females were unsure on the outcome. In the long-term, the happiness levels of the parents would decrease if a child were born in a household that had not planned for the arrival.
In previous research, the researchers examined whether the parents were less or more happy than those that did not have children. They also highlighted the importance of the stage of life cycle in determining the happiness levels of the parents. If parents are in a stage, where they are past the societal expectations of getting a child, they will be less happy if they get one. In older ages, the society expects that someone should not get a child. On the other hand, the childless parents also experience unhappiness due to constant worry and pressure from the society.
In this present, we shall systematically examine some of the effects that occur when parents get children. It will take into account issues such as preconceived ideas on the sex of the child, and the economic conditions of the parents at the time of birth. (Grimmond, 2012) examines some of the pattern regarding happiness before and after a major event in the life of people such as parenthood. The approach used controls parameters such as personality and the spacing of children as factors that can influence the happiness of parents. When they were expecting to get babies after certain duration and the reverse occurs, it interferes with their happiness.
In his analysis, (Eunjung, 2015) notes that happiness increases around birth, it normally returns to baseline within a period of less than two years. In one of the households examined during the research, they focused on the adaptation of the parents to the birth of a child. As such, we build on the notion that the birth of a child will depend on other issues
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