Parents' Deployments Hit Kids Extra Hard

Kids stress us out—but we still find them rewarding

(NEWSER) - Ask parents if their children make them happy and they’ll likely say yes. So why does almost every study on the subject show that having children tends to make people less happy—and that, in fact, many parents love their kids but hate parenting? In an extensive New York article , Jennifer Senior explores how parenting, and Americans’ reasons for having children, have changed over the decades. More»

As mental illness increases, cost of care skyrockets

(NEWSER) - For the first time on record, more US troops were hospitalized for mental illness last year than for any other reason, according to new data from the Pentagon. The year saw 17,538 mental health hospitalizations, which narrowly topped childbirth (17,354) and far outstripped injuries or battle wounds (11,156). “War is difficult,” the Army's surgeon general tells USA Today . “It takes a toll.” More»

(NEWSER) - Teens forced to move often by their parents’ jobs are much more likely to attempt suicide than those who stay put, MSNBC reports. Kids between 11 and 17 who moved three or more times were twice as likely to try to kill themselves as children who grew up in the same place, Danish researchers found. If a family moved 10 times, the likelihood of suicide quadrupled the average. More»

Veteran McCain has support, but wars' toll pushes many toward Obama

(NEWSER) - Members of the US military and their families are looking to the November election to address the hardships of military life, but opinions vary as to which candidate will serve them best, the Boston Globe reports. John McCain’s vows to honor service—and promise of higher pay—have clear appeal, but so do Barack Obama’s goals of ending the Iraq war and reuniting families. More»

Kids seek comfort in food as mothers worry about money, job

(NEWSER) - Moms stressed out by poverty could be driving millions of US kids younger than 10 to take refuge in food and become overweight, a study finds. The stress may be linked to heavy work schedules and health-insurance troubles, among other issues, Reuters reports. The study argues for better aid to struggling families, including access to food stamps, health insurance, and money-management education. More»