What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms

DEEP DIVE: Does Having Kids Make Us Happy?


Listen Later

This month's Deep Dive series is all about how much fun we are—or aren't—having while raising our kids. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify.

The world wants us to believe that having kids will bring us untold happiness. It's a love you've never known! Your life will never be the same! The reality is a little more complicated, and that can be quite confusing. As psychologist Jean Twenge points out, "Parents might believe that it's their fault when the transition to parenthood is difficult, rather than seeing it as something that everyone experiences."

So: does having kids make us happy? Is that even the right question? Is it supposed to? Are the benefits that come from parenting different, and perhaps larger, than happiness?

Here are links to some writing and studies on the topic that we discuss in this episode: 

  • Paul Bloom for The Atlantic: What Becoming a Parent Really Does to Your Happiness
  • Dan Kahneman et al: A survey method for characterizing daily life experience: the day reconstruction method
  • Roudi Nazarina Roy et al: Effects of Expected and Perceived Division of Childcare and Household Labor on Mother’s Relationship Satisfaction during Their Transition to Parenthood
  • E.E. LeMasters: Parenthood as Crisis
  • M. Luhmann et al: Subjective well-being and adaptation to life events: A meta-analysis. 
  • Jay Belsky et al: Patterns of Marital Change across the Transition to Parenthood: Pregnancy to Three Years Postpartum
  • Jean M. Twenge et al: Parenthood and Marital Satisfaction: A Meta-Analytic Review
  • Rainer Maria Rilke: “Go To The Limits of Your Longing”

  • We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website:

    https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/

    What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson.

    mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid’s behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent, parental stress, emotions, kids emotions, parent emotions, uncertainty, fun with kids, fun parenting

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsBy Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson

    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8

    4.8

    955 ratings


    More shows like What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms

    View all
    The Girl Next Door Podcast by Kelsey Wharton and Erica Ladd

    The Girl Next Door Podcast

    715 Listeners

    The Mom Hour by Mom Hour Media

    The Mom Hour

    1,697 Listeners

    Edit Your Life | Simplify + Declutter Your Home, Time, and Mental Space by Christine Koh

    Edit Your Life | Simplify + Declutter Your Home, Time, and Mental Space

    513 Listeners

    Coffee + Crumbs Podcast by Katie Blackburn, Ashlee Gadd

    Coffee + Crumbs Podcast

    1,810 Listeners

    The Lazy Genius Podcast by Kendra, The Lazy Genius

    The Lazy Genius Podcast

    6,474 Listeners

    Minimalist Moms Podcast by Diane Boden

    Minimalist Moms Podcast

    951 Listeners

    Best of Both Worlds Podcast by iHeartPodcasts

    Best of Both Worlds Podcast

    756 Listeners

    Minimal-ish: Minimalism, Intentional Living, Motherhood by Cloud10

    Minimal-ish: Minimalism, Intentional Living, Motherhood

    998 Listeners

    10 Things To Tell You by Laura Tremaine

    10 Things To Tell You

    952 Listeners

    Maximized Minimalist Podcast by Katy Wells

    Maximized Minimalist Podcast

    900 Listeners

    HERself by Abby and Amy

    HERself

    1,730 Listeners

    Flusterclux With Lynn Lyons: For Parents Who Worry by Lynn Lyons LICSW, Robin Hutson

    Flusterclux With Lynn Lyons: For Parents Who Worry

    436 Listeners

    Best Laid Plans by Sarah Hart-Unger

    Best Laid Plans

    740 Listeners

    Good Inside with Dr. Becky by Dr. Becky Kennedy

    Good Inside with Dr. Becky

    4,324 Listeners

    Struggle Care by KC Davis

    Struggle Care

    737 Listeners