How to Have a Happier Marriage: Don't Have Kids?

Study finds child-free couples report more satisfying relationships
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 13, 2014 2:45 PM CST
How to Have a Happier Marriage: Don't Have Kids?
   (Shutterstock)

One way to keep the love alive in your marriage? A new study out of Britain suggests not having kids could do the trick. Research by Open University has found that childless people reported having better, happier, more fulfilling relationships and feeling more valued by their partners, the Telegraph reports. The child-free also reported taking more time to "maintain" their connection, through things like "date nights" and, you know, just talking.

But if you're not so concerned with your romantic relationship, consider this: When subjects in the study were asked to rate overall happiness with their lives, mothers were found to be the happiest group—even if their romantic relationships were less than perfect, the Guardian notes—and women with no children were found to be the least happy. The findings were flipped when it came to men: Men without kids were slightly happier than men with them. (More child-free stories.)

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