Led by the sociologist Ansgar Hudde and Professor Marita Jacob, both researchers at the University of Cologne, this sociological survey is based on the responses of more than 43,000 Europeans from thirty countries, interviewed within the framework of the Social Survey European. The objective: to identify the effects of parenting on these two pillars of well-being that are life satisfaction and the feeling of leading a full-way existence.
Verdict? Being a parent does not systematically make it happier, especially in the long term. On the other hand, this in depth modifies the perception of its own existence. “Parenting debates have long focused too much about happiness and satisfaction,” said Professor Hudde in a press release. “What we show is that parents are not necessarily happier, but they find more frequently than their existence has a meaning and value”.
This quest for meaning, however, does not erase inequalities. Mothers from modest environments have a level of satisfaction in life lower than childless women. This difference is however much less marked in those from affluent environments. And on the side of men, the parental factor seems to weigh little, whatever the social environment.
But when it comes to the meaning of life, the borders are fading: men or women, rich or modest, more numerous parents declare that their existence has value. This feeling of meaning transcends borders and social categories.
And under certain conditions, happiness and meaning can be handled. This is the case in the Nordic countries, where family policies and institutional support allow parents to reconcile personal development and parenting. “Good societal conditions make it possible to obtain both: meaning and satisfaction,” said Professor Hudde. He recalls that Germany, at the turn of the 2010s, had started a turn to a Scandinavian model in terms of family policy. But this momentum has shortlered. Today, researchers are calling for rethinking family support policies, reducing time pressure and improving financial aid.
Among the major lessons in the study, we learn that the birth of the first child causes a peak in satisfaction … short -lived. On the other hand, the feeling of having a life full of meaning, it settles permanently. As a reminder that if parenting does not guarantee happiness, it can offer a CAP, a reason for being that resists the ups and downs of everyday life.