The emotional rewards of parenting may not outweigh the long nights and financial responsibilities, as suggested by recent research. It indicates that many parents tend to overstate their happiness in order to justify their decision to have children, despite the significant economic implications.

Richard Eibach and Steven Mock of the University of Waterloo have conducted a study that challenges the belief that parenthood is necessary for a fulfilling life. In their research, published in the March 2 issue of Psychological Science, they suggest that the notion of children being a source of happiness, satisfaction, and pride may be a myth

However, the times are evolving. From the 1920s onwards, the economic significance of raising children has been rapidly declining. Gone are the days when children could contribute to farm work or bring home wages. Nowadays, children require greater financial assistance than ever before, as highlighted by the researchers.

Table Of Contents

"I feel a deep sense of regret about it all. My mind is consumed with worry. Every time my daughters leave the house, anxiety takes over. I fret about their job prospects, their safety, and the unimaginable horrors that could befall them. It drives me mad. If they weren’t in my life, I can only imagine how much more peaceful things would be. I’m exhausted from this constant state of fear. The moment something goes wrong with your children, everything you once knew changes forever. Even during their childhood, when other kids were unkind, my anger was overwhelming. I recognize that this is my issue to deal with, but I can’t help but feel regret about becoming a parent." -- One parent says

As children's economic value has plummeted, their perceived emotional value has skyrocketed, becoming, "the economically worthless but emotionally priceless child," as Princeton sociologist Viviana Zelizer wrote in her book, "Pricing the Priceless Child" (Princeton University Press, 1994).

If they are, many parents are in the dark about it. In a Pew Research Report, published in May of 2010, 87 percent of mothers giving birth in 2008 stated "the joy of having children" as the reason they decided to have their first (or only) children.

While many parents stand by their emotionally priceless children, multiple studies have concluded these rewards are something of a myth — or at least greatly exaggerated, said the study researchers.

"Children's declining economic value may have been a contributing cause of parents' increasing exaggeration of children's emotional value," the researchers wrote.

In the study, 80 parents were asked to read through some information on the financial costs of raising children (including facts such as a child costing $190,000 from birth to age 18), and then asked how emotionally satisfying having children was. As a control, another set of parents were given the same reading material, but were also given information about how grown kids help support their parents. They were then asked how they felt about various issues related to parenting.

This is the confusing propaganda that misleads us all

There's no such thing as a "balanced diet" & nutrition isn't merely food. Why is that? It's because we're all individuals. Orthomolecular nutrition is the individualized analysis application of the substances within the food which our bodies often do not obtain enough of and are often blocked by antagonists.