Text Wrestling

Author Jennifer Senior in “All joy and no Fun” describes the joys of raising a child and the data that attempts to prove that parents are less happy than non-parents. In her opening lines, Jennifer describes a scene where her 2-year-old boy tickles her heart with happiness only to instill a deeper questioning of its true validity moments later. Jennifer describes how her short lived joy turns to disappointment and anguish when her son begins to misbehave and violate her house hold rules.

Jennifer states that studies have been conducted that show that working mothers, when presented with a list of options, rank childcare at the near bottom of the list of pleasurable activities. It appears that working mothers prefer to do household chores to caring for their own children. Even with the published result of studies like this, people continue to have children all over the globe on a daily basis.

One might wonder the usefulness of children beyond the continuance of the species. In years past children were viewed as productive contributors to a families survival strategy. However, long gone are the days of child labor for the means of maintaining a family farm or small town store. We have become more sophisticated, technologically advanced and morally tailored into thinking that these practices are archaic at best.

Modern children are being molded at a younger age to achieve academic superiority. Children aspire to attend expensive elitist organized activities and higher education in search of that ever-necessary college degree. Yet still the presence of technology seems to be somewhat counter productive to this search. Children have greater likelihood of distraction in the way of computers, video games and movies.

Jennifer identifies the difference in levels of happiness when comparing parents European Countries to those of the USA. European countries tend to provide greater term maternity leave periods and government subsidized health care programs. It is identified that women that do not have to worry about childcare, education and healthcare immediately following birth have greater levels of happiness.

Unhappy parents are comprised of both genders, male and female. However, it can be said that relationships status, gender and wealth seem to play an important part in determining just how unhappy a parent may be. Wealthier parents were unhappier than their less wealthy peers. Yet single parents are less happy than that of parents that are together. The common denominator in this equation remains, the more children the greater the multiplier.

Children are ever-present sources of stress in a parent’s life. Parents tend to have greater frequency of arguments due to situations that may have been caused or incited by their having children.

While children may seem to be the downfall of a once peaceful union, there will come a time when a parent will look fondly upon memories of rearing their young. Long after the sleepless nights and stress over paying for piano lessons or an expensive Ivy League college education, a parent will find joy in the times spent together.