Kids improve life satisfaction for married couples

By Jon Hochschartner
Bearing children boosts happiness among married couples, but not for those who haven't tied the knot, acording to a recent study by Dr. Luis Angeles from the University of Glasgow. His research, which was originally published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, has since garned much international publicity.
Locally, those in the North Country seemed to agree with his findings.
Alison Riley-Clark is a registered nurse and health teacher, as well as a married mother of three. She said having children improved her life satisfaction.
"I don’t know if it’s a biological drive or a psychosocial drive, but most people, after they get married, that I know, think about when they’re going to have children," she said.
When children are young, much of the joy of parenting comes from simply watching your kids develop, Riley-Clark said.
"It’s amazing to watch what happens with a baby from birth to age 1, and then you watch them develop a personality their own preferences their own interests, and you feel that you play a significant role in being a positive influence in their life," she said. "It's balanced by the recognition that you could also be a negative influence and that’s the stress of parenting."
As kids grow older, Riley-Clark said one of the biggest benefits of parenting comes from the unconditionally loving bond that forms between parent and child.
"The other part of it is that it’s a lot of fun to have a family and do activities together," she said. "It's a built in social group."
Jeff Earl, a married father of two, said having children boosted his life satisfaction, despite the immense challenges it presented.
"All of a sudden, I’m responsible for someone else who has no survival skills other than a heartbeat, respiration and a learning curve," Earl said. "It makes everything more real. It made me learn more about myself. I was forced to learn things about myself that I probably wouldn’t have learned any other way."
He said he didn't think it was possible to explain the bond formed between a parent and child at the moment of birth to someone who had not experienced it.
"It’s amazingly intense and it just flat out changes you," Earl said. "I love watching my kids grow up, and I love being with them. It’s not a negative thing; it’s just such an all encompassing thing."
Libby Doan, a married mother of two, said having children boosted her life satisfaction and brought new meaning to her life.
"For me, it brought a new dimension and an experience I'd never had before," Doan said. "It's been incredibly purposeful. When making decisions about someone else's life, it made me examine and really develop what I believe--like a value system. Because it's like you're always being watched. I like feeling responsible or playing a part in helping children have a good life experience."
Mike Tholen, a married father of two, seemed to agree.
"It improves your life satisfaction immensely," he said. "With your children, very quickly, all of a sudden you can’t imagine life without them. There are challenges to being a parent, but the things you get back are better because you go through those challenging times."