Why Parents Are Miserable

I'm guessing that we break the mold in Oklahoma because we are all awesome and happy -- but just in case. . .

A new study says parents are miserable.  Not so much before they are parents, while they are pregnant or when they have an infant -- but after that:  misery.

The Max Plank institute for Demographic Research wanted to figure out why people stop having kids after the first one.  They analyzed data from a survey that covered over 20k people and decided that over 1/3 of parents 'happiness level' drops after the kid starts doing things like talking, crawling and giving attitude.  I might have made that last part up, but attitude is a big reason why we are ever unhappy in OUR home.  Usually it is my attitude, but sometimes the kid has attitude, too.  Ya know?

In fact, parents were more unhappy just because they are parents than if they no kids and gotten a divorce.  That is freaking me out.

So, to be perfectly happy you should have no kids, right?  Well, hold on.  There is amazing satisfaction in parenting . . .and my guess is after the daily parenting gig is over, you'll be happy and satisfied with your world.  It's just when you are in the middle of it that it can be a little, um, trying.

Even knowing I might be slightly happier with no kids -- I wouldn't trade my kid for the world.  He's pretty awesome, pretty special and better than any other kid I know.  Maybe I am prejudice . . .but aren't we all as parents?