Are your children ruining your romantic life?
A recent study found womens’ transition into motherhood negatively affects their marriages.
In the book “Great Myths of Intimate Relationships: Dating, Sex, and Marriage,” author Matthew Johnson surveyed decades of studies that show “the relationship between spouses suffers once kids come along.”
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All the “sweet nothings” and “just because” gifts and messages start to shift to into conversations about children, changing the dynamic of how each parent communications. According to the study, “relationship burden of having children is present regardless of marital status, gender orientation or level of income.”
Despite the level of dissatisfaction couples may experience once children are involved, married couples with children experience low divorce rates.
Johnson suggests that in recent years women are increasingly deciding not to have children due to the burdens it may bare on their relationships.
“According to the U.S. Census, the percent of childless American women (ages 15-44) increased a staggering amount in just two generations: from 35 percent in 1976 to 47 percent in 2010.”
Despite the impact that children may have on the relationships, parenthood is a beautiful thing. The joy of parenthood may be worth the cost of any relationship for some people, but who says you can’t have a great marriage and raise happy children. Who says you can’t have it all?
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