There is only one problem with this handwringing: It no longer fits the data.
While it is true that parents once were more likely to report they were less happy than their childless peers, today that is most definitely not true. Recent research by Chris Herbst and James McQuivey suggests the happiness tide has turned in toward parents, especially those who are married.
This finding is also evident in a new YouGov survey, conducted this summer by the Institute for Family Studies and the Wheatley Institution. The survey shows that in the wake of COVID-19, childless Americans are now more likely to report their lives are lonely, and less likely to report they are meaningful and happy. A clear majority of men and women (nearly 60%) ages 18-55 who do not have kids say they are lonely some, most, or all of the time.
Only a minority of their peers with children, 45%, report this kind of loneliness.
It used to be that parents in America were less happy than their childless peers. No more. New survey finds: “The happiness tide has turned toward parents, especially those who are married.” 🧵https://t.co/KoF0zeAI45 via @DeseretNews
— Brad Wilcox (@BradWilcoxIFS) September 28, 2021