Looks like having kids won't make you miserable after all. Recent research on the topic of parental happiness has found that those who choose to have children are much happier than those who choose not to reproduce. 

As USA Today reports, the first study used longitudinal data from British and German parents, and concluded that "the overall net effect of having children is positive." The happiness levels people experienced after becoming parents were higher when compared against their own happiness levels prior to having kids. Those who had kids at a younger age had a "downward happiness trend," while those who waited and had kids later were happier after giving birth.


The findings of two new studies also found fault with the previous research which suggested mommies and daddies might be more miserable than their non-reproducing friends. But even if these studies didn't guarantee absolute happiness, it's still good news for those of you who were worried that your kids were going to ruin your lives.