Does having children make you happy?

Such an interesting discussion. I know lots of people with no kids who are happy, and those will kids who are happy. I guess it all depends on how you define Happy.

Nearly one in five American women now ends her childbearing years without having a child, compared with one in ten in the 1970s, according to recently released U.S. Census data.

The most educated women, those with bachelor’s degrees or higher, are among the most likely never to have given birth, according to the Pew Research Center.

Women like Copeland are challenging the idea that happy and fulfilled lives require children. In fact, other studies suggest that having children can have a negative impact on happiness.

“As a group, parents of all types and all socioeconomic levels in the United States report more symptoms of depression and emotional distress than their childless adult counterparts,” said Robin Simon, a Wake Forest University sociology professor who researches the association between parenthood and emotional well-being.

Her information is based on a nationally representative study sampling 11,473 Americans. They were picked from all races, socioeconomic backgrounds and educational levels