Are Parents in the USA Less Happier Than Other Parents in the West?

It has been reported that being a non-parenting adult guarantees more happiness than those who have the responsibility to raise children. The "happiness gap" is clearly seen between those who are parents and those who are not. Studies reveal that US parents are less happier compared to the other 21 Western countries.

Experts have pointed out the reason for this phenomenon. As a result, they have found that good family support policies in the USA are different from other industrialized countries. The policies in focus are mostly about parental leave and vacation quotes.

Other parental happiness factors reported by the Chicago Tribune are as follows:

1. Planned parenthood

2. Guaranteed paid sick days for working parents

3. They have flexibile work schedules

4. The country's GDP

5. Unexpected pregnancy

6. Bigger families

Mostly, countries with the best policy packages like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia and Hungary allow the combination of paid work along with family obligations. That way, people who are living in such countries do not exerience the "happiness gap" between parenting and non-parenting adults. Some even reported that being parents can be much more joyful.

The New York Times concludes that unhappy parents in the USA can be decreased by improving the economic factor that affects the family system. The University of Texas Psychology professor, Jeniffer Glass and her co-researcher claimed that a better economy promotes indirect benefits that lead to family happiness 

"We have to compete for good child care. We compete to live where there's a good elementary school," she explained. "We compete for activities because a child's entire fate seems to depend on where he goes to college because there's no guarantee - if we don't, our child might be left behind."

Therefore, the existence of better family policies among the labour force will likely change the stereotype that fewer people like being parents, particularly due to the economic factor that affects them. As long as the family has an equipped fair policy when it comes to having children, then being parents can be a joyful experience.