Can American Parents Possibly Not Be Failures?

RedTracker| Here are two conundrums about parenting. Children absolutely, positively don’t make parents happier, according to every piece of research on the planet.

The future of the human species aside, and perhaps believing that parents have no idea of what real joy is — which is why they don’t understand just how happy parenting really makes them — having kids doesn’t make adults happy.

Considering this reality, the fact that American parents are spending more time than every before with their kids — yes, more than in the 1975 — suggests that parents should give themselves a break.

According to Changing Rhythms of American Family Life—a compendium of data about time use and family statistics, compiled by a trio of sociologists named Suzanne M. Bianchi, John P. Robinson, and Melissa A. Milkie—all parents spend more time today with their children than they did in 1975, including mothers, in spite of the great rush of women into the American workforce. Today’s married mothers also have less leisure time (5.4 fewer hours per week); 71 percent say they crave more time for themselves (as do 57 percent of married fathers). Yet 85 percent of all parents still—still!—think they don’t spend enough time with their children. via New York Magazine

Reality is that any parents who even considers making time for each other without the kids are scandalous failures, most likely liberals trying to undermine the foundations of American values.

Whoever is behind the movement to make American parents feel guilty for even looking at each other has a good things going on . Read on Why Parents Hate Parenting.