Dr David Coleman: Are older mams and dads happier parents?

Financial stability and stable relationships can go a long way to creating a joyous household... but so does acting the eejit once in a while

The temperament of your child also contributes to how happy you are likely to be. Photo: Picture posed/Getty Images

Dr David Coleman

Some weeks ago, when writing about holidaying with children, I said that most parents enjoy family holidays more when their children are happy on the holiday. I think that is probably the case for most of us, but it does beg the question: is it only when their children are happy that parents can be happy?

Research on the topic of parental happiness is quite inconclusive in its guidance for us, since it shows that sometimes being a parent makes you happy and sometimes it doesn’t. Different stages of our parenting journey can be more or less fulfilling for us.