A new study found that parents who have four or more children have the greatest satisfaction in life despite the expenses and time pressure of raising them. Researchers at Perth's Edith Cowan University in Australia asked parents from different family types to complete a questionnaire about resilience, social support and self-esteem. Family types include same-sex parents, single mothers and fathers, families with multiple children and those with a single child. The team ranked the participants based on their responses on the questionnaire.
The analysis showed that parents with four or more children reported the highest satisfaction in life, followed by same-sex parents. Single fathers, on the other hand, were the least satisfied in life.
"With large families, we think they have social support within the family," Bronwyn Harman, study author and a lecturer in the School of Psychology and Social Science, told ABC News. "The kids are never bored, they have someone to play with and they get independence quite early on."
Parents with many children admitted that it is indeed chaotic to raise multiple children, but they learned to accept it because of the happiness the children bring. Same-sex parents were also happy with their lives because of the social acceptance. Single fathers felt dissatisfied because they felt like the "lesser parent," according to the Daily Mail.
The researchers believe that the government should consider that not all families are the same and that the services provided to the families should be dependent on what they really need.
"We need to remember that different groups of parents have different needs to contribute to their life satisfaction," Harman said to Sydney Morning Herald. "It would be much better if we were able to separate the needs of different families and tailor services towards those individual cohorts."
