Do you think you would have been just as happy in life if you didn't have children?

[merrynelly]

I always thought I wouldn't be truly happy in life if I didn't have children. I am absolutely obsessed with my baby and would do absolutely anything for him. He gives my life so much meaning and purpose. However I do now feel that actually, I could've still been really happy had I not had my baby. That being said I am confident I am happier for having him.

I was extremely happy for forty years without a child. I’m confident I would have gone on being so.

No.

Honestly yes. I love my children & they bring me a lot of joy..but Given my time again I don't think I would have any.

I dont know. I have never known joy like my children.

I wouldn't have been just as happy, but I would have been able to carve out a very happy life for myself. That's only because I always wanted a family though.

I'm sure in general people can be as happy and fulfilled without children. Personally I always knew I wanted children & family life makes me content.

Nope I wouldn't be

No

No, I don't think I would have been

Yes.

No, because I'd always have felt the sadness of not having a child...

I should expand. I love the chaos. Even the Crappy days. Iove the responsibility. Love the mess. I mean I moan about being a parent all the bloody time one way or another but I can't imagine it any other way now.

No

I always wanted children. I think I would have always yearned for them had I not had them.

No, I would have always felt like there was a piece missing.

We are infertile so eventually we adopted 2 children.
We were very unhappy being childless. It's much better being parents.

Hell no.

Yes. If you don’t have any, you don’t know what you are missing (good and bad).

I had DD at 41 and life is considerably better for her. But I was perfectly happy before.

I loved my life before, and don't enjoy being a mother at all, it makes me utterly miserable. If I had the chance to go back in time, I would carry on being child-free, 100%.

It's a different sort of life with children to our childfree life and I can't really compare in terms of happiness because it would have been a completely different experience.

Yes I think I would have been happy. Just a different kind of happy. More relaxed, more time to do things I enjoy rather than things that other people enjoy, better holidays etc...I think I'd have been fine

I can't imagine what my life would be like without DD (5 yrs old, currently curled up asleep beside me). I utterly adore her, and she is so funny, so full of character and joy.

I would have been happy anyway because DH and I are really great together, and had a wonderful time before DD arrived. We weren't certain we'd be able to have a child (I was 42 when she was born) but oh my god, she's made us happier than we would ever have imagined.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/may/25/women-happier-without-children-or-a-spouse-happiness-expert

No way even though it’s grinding and hard work it’s made me so happy

Hmm I honestly don't know. DH and I are great mates so we'd have had a perfectly nice life either way I'm sure.

But on a daily level...you rarely laugh till you cry as an adult, but you do it more often when you have kids, I think. I smile more, laugh more, dance more, act silly more, because I have kids.