Study: What Makes Married Couples Happy?

It’s not surprising anymore to see Hollywood couples splitting up after a mere few months (or weeks!) from their wedding day. Crucial to a long-lasting marriage is the important issue of just how satisfied these couples are (were) in their relationship. What exactly keeps marriage alive and what brings down their happiness level? Does having kids hamper wedded bliss?

In the recently-published annual report for Marriage, Inc.,The State of Unions: Marriage in America, they looked into how much having kids affected the marital satisfaction of couples. 

Those that had children were found to have lower marital satisfaction as compared to childless couples. This doesn’t discount the fact as well that other findings reveal that some parents actually became all the more happier after having kids, even when their workload increased and there was less communication with their spouse. 

Another finding also stated that unmarried couples who had kids were less satisfied in their relationship than married couples. On the other hand, couples with four children were just as happy as unmarried couples without kids.

To help zero in on what promotes a healthy marriage, authors of the report listed down these five criteria for the part of the woman:1. Sexual satisfaction2. Generosity to husband, including small acts of service like making coffee for him in the morning, expressing affection, and being willing to forgive3. Commitment4. Social support from family and friends5. A good attitude toward raising kids (i.e., she wanted them)