The Origins of Happiness

Chapter 5

and panel respectively). The larger household panel samples

give similarly large figures for Germany, but much smaller

ones for Britain and Australia.^11

The effect is also somewhat fleeting, as appears when

we look carefully into the pattern of adaptation. Figure 5.6

studies those panel members who ever had a child, over the

years before and years after they had their first child. In all

three countries there is excitement as the child approaches,

joy when the child arrives, and complete adaptation within

two years. This is of course an average finding, but it applies

to both fathers and to mothers.

This finding— that young children have only small aver-

age effects on life- satisfaction— is in line with the findings

of previous research.^12 A sensible conclusion is that having

young children brings some satisfaction but on average

Figure 5.5. Percentage of people with children at home in Britain (BHPS,

2010– 15)

Pe

rcen

t

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

20–2526–3031–3536–4041–4546–5051–5556–6061–6566–7071–7576–80

80+

Have children

at home

Do not have

children

at home