Are your kids the ones who can always put a smile on your face? There’s a reason why…
Mums are happier than any other group in society, new UK research has revealed.
The Open University study, which polled more than 5,000 people over a two-year period, looked at what makes relationships work – and last. And the results showed that it is children that make most women happy in their relationship.
Over half of the mums said their child was the most important person in their life
Mums were found to be the happiest of everyone polled, however the same women rated themselves as dissatisfied with their relationship or marriage. On the other hand, childless women claimed to be less happy than mums, but their relationships appeared to be better.
But the survey found that dads were slightly less happy than men without kids.
Over half of the mums said their child was the most important person in their life, while only a quarter of fathers agreed. Two thirds of dads said their partner was the most important person in the world to them, compared to just over a third of mums.
‘It does seem that women are getting a greater sense of happiness with their life from their children than fathers,’ says the lead researcher Dr Jacqui Gabb, a senior lecturer in social policy at the Open University.
Generally, the results found that women are more likely than men to become more focused on their kids – rather than their partners – after becoming a parent.
Has having a baby made you happier? Let us know below.