A recent study conducted by the Council on Contemporary Families that was carried out in 22 countries (targeting European and English-speaking regions) shows the U.S. has the largest amount of parents that are unhappy compared to people without children. Utilizing the International Surveys conducted from 2007 to 2008 and the European Social Surveys from 2006 to 2008, plus researchers from Baylor University, Wake Forest University and the University of Texas, the studies found these particular countries have many frustrated parents (excluding Hungary and Norway).
The issues most people think would be the cause of being unhappy parents such as little time, lack of money, and lack of energy are not the case for these caregivers. Parents in the U.S. have frustrations based off the lack of policy changes that could be more helpful, including a direct correlation to:
“the duration and generosity of paid parenting leave, the number of annual paid sick and vacation days guaranteed by law, the cost of child care for the average two-year old as a percent of median wages, and the extent of work schedule flexibility offered to parents of dependent children.”
In summary, if there were better policies that would benefit working parents, the end result would be happier moms and dads. There is evidently a greater gap in those with children than those without children when it comes to happiness because of the lack of accommodation to a better work-life balance.
