Sort of...

A new study out of the University of Denver finds 90% of couples experience a decrease in marital satisfaction once the first child was born. 90%!!  Researchers followed more than 200 couples for eight years.  It diminishes the quickest in the first year of the baby's life.

Is this really news?  Maybe not.  My kid's 14 months old now, and it's STILL an adjustment. And while each day brings rewards -  the boy can say the dogs' names!  look, he can clap! - each day brings challenges, too.  Right now, we're in the process of trying to find a daycare facility.  We've been lucky to have a great nanny, but she's moving on to a "real world" job now, so the hunt begins.  It's STRESSFUL, trying to find someone you trust with your most precious commodity in life.  And what happens when you're stressed? Chances are that - even when you don't mean to - you take it out one your spouse.  Whether you're not as loving, or attentive, or patient... it's there.  Parenting takes a toll.

There's an AP article that says, "An unrelated study in 2006 of 13,000 people found parents are more depressed than non-parents. Scientists speculate that the problem is partly a modern one, because parents don't get as much help at home as they did in previous generations."

Gone are the days of multi-generational households, where grandma or autie or uncle are around to help.  There are still friends, and church groups and other networks, but it's not the same.  Chances are, grandma and grandpa still have to work, because of the economy.  The whole "it takes a village" has turned into "mom and dad gotta fend for themselves".  And that CAN get overwhelming.

On a more positive note, the researchers found that kids don't ruin everything. It may take a few years, but couples report that in time, they do find a different kind of happiness that comes from building a family.

Oh, and child-less marriages don't come off any easier in the longterm.  Researches found that their happiness also diminishes... just at a slightly slower pace!