Are kids -EV?

[OtisTheMarsupial]

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I read somewhere that, while marriage is supposed to be good for you, both healthwise and financially, having kids is not.

So, that leaves me to wonder:

Is having kids a -EV activity?

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Yes, this is true. Statistically, marriage is good for your health and your financial well being (less so for your wife - in fact, marriage tends to be bad for women's health, though this is changing as marriage roles change).

Also, statistically, children tend to be bad for a relationship. Something like 60% of marriages get worse after a child and the others get better after a child.

The difference tends to be how involved the father is in the pregnancy and child rearing.

The traditional division of labor (wife does all housecleaning & childcare (unpaid labor), husband does all paid labor) tends to drive a wedge between a couple when the child comes.

Couples who have more equitable relationships tend to get stronger when they have children. Couples who have inequitable relationships tend to get weaker when they have children.

Check out Dr. John Gottman's books for more.

(Also, breastfeeding is really good at helping the mother lose her pregnancy weight. And it tends to make the baby healthier and smarter, too. And some guys like the look of engorged breasts - big!)