• Lose one happiness unit after death of a partner or loss of a job.
• Lose 0.6 units due to divorce.

The Margolis-Myrskylä study compared couples’ contentedness two years before the birth of a first child to their happiness one year after becoming parents:

• On average, there was a loss of 1.4 happiness units just before or after birth of a first child.
• 30% of new parents exhibited no decline in happiness.
• Approximately one-third experienced happiness decline by 2 or more units.
• 58% of couples who reported a drop in happiness by 3 units or more did not have a second child in the 10 years following birth of a first child.
• 66% who reported no new-parent loss of happiness did have another baby in 10 years.
• Men and women who became parents after age 30 were more likely to report loss of contentment.
• Parents with 12 or more years of education were also more likely to report discontentment after becoming a parent.

“It could also be that it is harder for these parents to combine work and family, given that they are likely to be in more competitive professional environments,” suggests Myrskylä.


Sources:

1. Margolis, Rachel, and Mikko Myrskylä. "Parental Well-being Surrounding First Birth as a Determinant of Further Parity Progression." Springer Link. Springer Science+Business Media, 2015. Web. 25 Aug. 2015.
2. Winders, Jason. "Study: ‘Less happy’ new parents have smaller families." Western News. Western University, 7 Aug. 2015. Web. 25 Aug. 2015.