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Data published in late March by the Institute for Family Studies found that American well-being is far higher in adults who have children.
The analysis used data from the 2021 American Time Use Survey (ATUS), which uses data from American adults aged 25 to 50, and found that in “general, activities with children score highest on well-being. For instance, 56% of activity time receives the highest meaningfulness rating when children are present, whereas only 37% of time spent with other individuals does. Similarly, respondents are more likely to assign the highest happiness rating to time spent on activities with their kids (44%) than without (25%).”
Activities included things like eating, doing household chores, and even socializing was far more enjoyable amongst adults with children. (MORE NEWS: Church Participation Grows Post COVID-19 Pandemic, Study Shows)
‘Greater Meaning In Life’
Respondents who spent more time with their children were equally as happy, if not more happy than when they spent time with their spouse. Parenthood, generally, was found to give people “greater meaning in life.”
The data comes as American adults report a decrease in desire to have children. Fertility rates in the U.S. dropped to historic lows in recent years, the Washington Stand reported. Similar trends are happening in Italy, Spain, Poland, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan.
“This study ‘proves’ that children are a blessing,” Family Research Council senior fellow Meg Kilgannon told the Washington Stand. “As mere mortals, we are often afraid of the unknown, even though God tells us over and over to ‘Be not afraid.’ This is true as couples contemplate becoming parents. We can easily see the future bills and sleepless nights. But we sometimes fail to expect the amazing love and exponentially expansive joy that children bring not just to us but to the world. It’s great to have a study to support parenting and family life. We can pray that for people grounded in faith, we can embrace God’s plan for marriage which is for children and abundant life.”
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