Does being an intense mother make women unhappy? Women who believe in intensive parenting — i.e., that women are better parents than men, that mothering should be child-centered, and that children should be considered sacred and are fulfilling to parents — are more likely to have negative mental health outcomes, according to new research.

Key Takeaways:

• Various media outlets are delightedly pouncing on a “study” about just how stupid you were to have kids.
• If you read the average ‘Mummy blog’, you could be forgiven for thinking that having children was the one, true portal to happiness and life satisfaction.
• The scientific method behind this research is, so far, only clear to those at the Paris School of Economics.

“Andrew Clark, of the Paris School of Economics, said at a conference in London this week, ‘Children are a great idea, thinking about having children is a good idea. Having them is a good idea.”

http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/1130521/according-to-science-mothers-are-unhappy