Erika Lawrence, a psychology professor released a study funded by the US National Institute of Mental Health that says newlyweds who have children, even those who planned to have children in their early years of married have a much greater drop in marital satisfaction than newlyweds who do not have kids. This article from the Times Online doesn't offer an explanation on why, but it does make sense if you think about it. When you have a child, your attention must be on them. Even when you put forth an effort to nurture your marriage, it's bound to lose time to the new child. That doesn't mean don't have children. The study goes on to say that after 18 months, the marital satisfaction rebounds. So keep this in mind when your first baby is on the way--continue to focus on each other and your marriage.

Labels: kids, parenting, study