Parenting brings fathers more joy than it does mothers, according to a new study. The research examined three studies (26)_____ more than 18,000 participants. Across all three, parenthood was (27)_____ with more positive wellbeing outcomes for dads than for mums.
So why are fathers happier than mothers? “Fathers may fare better than mothers in part due to how they spend time with their children,” said lead author Katherine Nelson-Coffey. In one study, the authors (28)_____ that dads were more likely to take “playing” as an (29)_____ activity both when caring for their kids and spending time with their kids. “Playing with their children likely offers parents opportunities to experience positive feelings and (30)_____ closeness with their children,” they say.
Fathers also did better than men without kids, reporting greater happiness, life satisfaction, and fewer (31)_____ symptoms. They also reported greater connectedness and autonomy (自主). For mums, (32)_____, compared to women without children, the results weren’t quite as positive. Mums reported greater autonomy, but also “greater trouble” and fewer positive (33)_____.
Mums reported happier moods while interacting with their kids, compared to other experiences, but not while engaging (34)_____ in childcare. “This difference suggests that how mothers and fathers spend time with their children might have important (35)_____ for their wellbeing,” the authors write. They suspect that mums may be less happy than dads because they’re more likely to have higher expectations about parenthood. As such, they’re more likely to be “let down” by the experience.
