"Women unhappier than ever " according to the Guardian

[KingRolo]

Interesting article here

So women's lives have got better in many ways but we're not happy. The article says women's happiness relative to men's has declined in the last 25 years.

Why might this be?

[SixtyFootDoll]

Cos we are doing all the work?

[feedthegoat]

Because an awful lot of women are trying to hold down jobs and have careers along side the traditional home making role rather than instead of. And I say this as a mum who goes out to work so I'm not being judgemental. There's no denying it makes life hard.

And the other side of the coin is that stay at home mums can feel under valued. As I work two days I sort of feel like I've got a foot in both camps but don't belong to either if that makes sense.

[mrsruffallo]

Who had decided we are less happy?
No one asked me. Or mu husband
I am so tired of these wanky articles

[CloudDragon]

I'm really happy

to be serious though I think a lot of us do the same amount of housework plus a lot of paid work and have high expetations of our social lifes, and our parenting and on and on...

[mrsruffallo]

And honestly, in 2009 what kind of man expects his wife to do all of the housework?
I am a sahm and my husband still does a lot around the house.
Honestly, I couldn't be with a man ho thought it was only woman's work. It's archaic.

[reikizen]

No-one has asked me either, but if they did they would find me a very happy girl. Yes, I'm busy, short on time and money at the moment but jesus, I wouldn't swap any of it to be a woman at any time in the past! The bloody guardian should know better.

[maggievirgo]

yeah, it makes out like, women ey, they wanted this and now they're miserable. But they're only unhappy because they pay for the childcare have nothing left over afterwards, have to drop off and pick up their children and do all the housework too.....

[KingRolo]

The article looks at several different studies done over the years, including data from the NHS.

It's our high expectations that are the problem I think. We need everything to be great all the time. The house, the kids, the job, the relationship, the sex, our bodies... and on it goes. We put ourselves under such pressure.

[K999]

As usual its another article about how women feel so miserable with their lot!! FFS lets change the subject....its very boring! I am happy. I have two kids, work full-time and have a bloody great dp who cooks every night. I do the washing and kids lunches and I have a cleaner in once a week to do the rest! We share the workload and delagate the rest. Its not rocket science and I would never feel like I had to do the lot. Of course I have a brilliant DP who would never in a million years expect me to do it all.........but perhaps we should all stop feeling like we have to do it all!! We dont!!

[KingRolo]

K999 - "It's not rocket science".

Well no. Not if you have a great DP and can afford a cleaner.

[moondog]

I'm sick of crap like this too.

If women are stupid enough to live with stupid lazy men who make poor fathers, more fool them.

I'd also love to know where these women are who 'put themselves under so much pressure to be perfect'. Oh yeah? So how come a huge segment of society is fat, dirty, lazy and stupid?

If people are unhappy, it's generally because they think of themselves too much.If they did something for someone else, tidied up, cooked a proper meal and took a walk, they'd be much happier. I guarantee it.

[Kitstelsmum]

I'm totally with you, Moondog!

[FimbleHobbs]

I think women are more likely to seek help for mental health issues than men, aren't they? So its not surprising (well, not to me) that more women are diagnosed with depression etc.

I think there are a lot of women who put themselves under pressure to be perfect, I do it to myself quite easily. I have a friend who never seems to, and she is a lot more perfect than I am! Of course I am now putting pressure on myself to not pressure myself..........

[serajen]

As a single mum, I'd say it has something to do with: 100% responsibility for daughter, no financial or emotional support, trying to keep all those plates spinning, working full time, shopping, cooking, cleaning, blah, blah, blah, and trying to find time to maintain yourself, no money for clothes, going out, etc, and permanent exhaustion .......

[KingRolo]

Moondog, for many women it's a choice between living with a usless man or coping alone, like serajen.

Both are difficult options.

[bleh]

Well, just seen this article about a lawyer and mother of three. Poor woman and her poor family. It must be such a shock.

[shonaspurtle]

Has there ever been a better time in history to be a woman?

• safer birth
• more equality of expectations
• (decent) men expecting to take on a share of household/childrearing tasks
• control of our own finances, better legal rights
• erm, other stuff

[KingRolo]

That's so sad.

I can't even begin to imagine how bad she must have felt to do that. Her poor husband and children.

[UnquietDad]

Maybe it's just women who read the Guardian who are unhappier than ever.

[KingRolo]

Well, a lot of those things are what I'd see as basic human right shona. You can't expect someone to be happy because they haven't died in childbirth or are allowed to have their own bank account.

I get your point about decent men though. There are more of them about, my DH being one. There aren't enough of them to go round though, that's the problem.

[UnquietDad]

And that goes double for articles by Barking Bunting.

[KingRolo]

No UQD, The Guardian makes me very happy. Especially Charlie Brooker.

What would you suggest women read instead?

[Chevre]

maybe the report was based entirely on liz jones and her friends, they are a right miserable lot.

[expatinscotland]

'If women are stupid enough to live with stupid lazy men who make poor fathers, more fool them.'

Pretty much.

[UnquietDad]

LOL at Liz Jones