WHAT’S THE PERFECT NUMBER OF CHILDREN FOR A HAPPY LIFE?

Children bring joy. From the smell of a newborn’s head to those first few wobbly steps, all those little moments add up to a lifetime of happiness.

However, we also know they bring hard work, sleepless nights, and a lot of financial requirements! But, with 70% of UK parents gushing about how happy they are, it seems that the joy and happiness children bring into our lives really do make all those difficulties worthwhile.

With this in mind, we decided to do some research and find out what the perfect number of children is for a happy life. We put ourselves to work to discover the answer, but with a dramatic research montage, which ended in a Google wormhole, we thought it probably best to just ask you guys. 

 

The secret to a happy family

We searched high and low and managed to find 2000 half-willing Gen-Zs to Gen-Xers to help us with our mission.

The result? Well, it turns out that two is in fact the magic number…

49% of you told us that two children is the secret recipe for the perfect happy family. This was followed by 14% voting three and 9.5% for one.

 

In your view, what number of children is the right number for a happy life?

 

0 (0)

13.3%

1 (1)

9.5%

2 (2)

48.9%

3 (3)

14.0%

4 (4)

5.7%

5 (5)

2.0%

6 (6)

0.6%

7 (7)

0.4%

More than 7 (8)

0.2%

As many as possible (-)

5.4%

 

Ready for another child?

We also found out that parents currently with one child are the most keen to grow their family, with 14% wanting their child to have a sibling so they always have a friend, and 5% not wanting to have an only child. We don’t know about you, but friendships with our siblings came much later on when we weren’t arguing over who had the remote, who was cooler or who mum and dad loved more… the memories!

Other reasons why UK parents are considering adding another child to their family include not yet feeling that their family is complete and wanting to have a child of a specific gender.

 

   If you currently have a child or children, and are planning to have further children, what is the single biggest factor motivating that decision?

 

I just don't feel my family is complete yet

8.4%

I want my child or children to have a sibling so they will always have a friend

13.6%

I want my child or children to have a sibling so they have someone to share the burden of caring for me and/or my partner

4.5%

I don't want my child to be an only child

4.6%

I want to maximise the chances of having grandchildren in the future

2.7%

I have always wanted a child of a specific gender and haven't had one yet

3.0%

I think it will strengthen my relationship with my existing child/children

2.2%

I think it will strengthen my relationship with my partner

2.5%

I think it will strengthen my relationship with my parents or in-laws

0.7%

 

Not sure that another one is the right move?

Sure, more does not always mean better. You might enjoy one but another could lead to chaos… or could it be great? Losing more financial freedoms is a big issue for many parents, with 21% finding this the biggest downside. This was also higher amongst men, with 25% choosing more disposable income over having another child.

Others worried that having another child could cause them work-life, health or relationship imbalances.

Interestingly, we also saw some new modern-day factors mentioned, which included environmental concerns. Some parents surveyed believed that adding more children to the population is not conducive to protecting the planet, as well as thinking that today’s world isn’t the best environment to bring children up in.

 

If you are not planning to have any children, or any further children, what is the biggest reason for that?

 

The financial cost of raising children

21.4%

I don't want to divide my focus between more children

8.3%

I'm concerned about how children will impact the environment

5.2%

I think it's cruel to bring children into this world

6.7%

I'm concerned about the physical risks pregnancy could pose to me or my partner

4.80%

It will disrupt or further disrupt my career

2.30%

I don't have a living space that could accommodate children

5.60%

I'm concerned it will affect my relationship with my partner

2.50%

I am concerned about the level of sleep deprivation

2.50%

 

Interestingly, environmental concerns are the highest amongst 18-24 year-olds, with 10% concerned about the impact that a child could have on the environment, although they don’t seem too bothered about sleep deprivation (typical Gen-Z). Not nearly as much as those aged 35-44.

 

If you are not planning to have any children, or any further children, what is the biggest reason for that?

 

 

 

 

18 - 24

25 - 34

35 - 44

The financial cost of raising children

23.7%

20.9%

25.8%

I don't want to divide my focus between more children

6.8%

11.8%

9.2%

I'm concerned about how children will impact the environment

10.2%

7.6%

5.8%

I think it's cruel to bring children into this world

6.8%

7.1%

7.9%

I'm concerned about the physical risks pregnancy could pose to me or my partner

3.4%

6.6%

5.4%

It will disrupt or further disrupt my career

3.4%

4.7%

1.7%

I don't have a living space that could accommodate children

5.1%

4.7%

5.0%

I'm concerned it will affect my relationship with my partner

3.4%

3.8%

3.3%

I am concerned about the level of sleep deprivation

0.0%

2.8%

3.8%

 

What do the experts think?

To get a better insight into  how parents or prospective parents think about the number of children they’ll have, we reached out to the experts at The Pocket Family Psychologist. Clinical and forensic psychologist Dr Andrea Shortland, and clinical psychologists and systematic practitioner Dr Jocelyne Kenny gave us their view.

“The data broadly seems to replicate the idea that family happiness often depends, in part on how well ‘resourced’ a family is. The survey includes questions which captures the idea of the various resources available to families, including finances, but also how much focus parents have for other children and their own relationship, living space, sleep, personal careers, and other concepts that can be understood as resources available to families at any point in time.

“Generally, families are seen as doing the best they can with the ‘resources’ they have - money, time, emotional wellbeing, the ability to communicate etc. The survey finds that the majority of respondents believe that 2 children is the ‘ideal’ number for family happiness, but the majority of respondents also have 2 children. This reflects the idea that family happiness comes when we see ourselves as being able to cope with the demands placed on us by family life with the resources we have to meet these demands. In other words, when it comes to family size, our ‘ideal’ number of children reflects more our own personal circumstances and beliefs as opposed to a certain number of children being the magic / best number to ensure family happiness.”

 

Remember

Whether you’ve already got another baby on the way or you’re planning on adding a new bundle of joy to your family unit, at Online4Baby we have everything you need to help with your new baby’s life from pushchairs to nursery room sets, from toys to stairgates. At Online4Baby we aim to make each stage of their development as easy as possible for you.