Once new parents get the handle on dealing with their child, many will eventually decide to have a second, and they soon realize just because they could handle one, doesn’t mean they could handle two. And if you are one of those parents who thought your life was better with only one kid, science suggests you are probably right.
A study out of The University of Melbourne suggests having a second child could wreak havoc on a parents’ mental health. Looking at 16 years of data, the study discovered that while parents showed improved mental health after having one kid, all the added pressure and stress of a second kid had a negative effect on a parent’s mental health, and is particularly worse for the mother than the father.
As for why moms have it worse...the study notes that they tend to have higher stress levels because they are traditionally handling most of the childcare responsibilities. Somehow we don’t think moms needed a study to tell them this.
Photo: Getty Images/Helen H Richardson