Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Parenthood and Life Satisfaction in Europe: The Role of Family Policies and Working Time Flexibility

  • Published:
European Journal of Population Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The life satisfaction of parents residing with dependent children varies greatly between countries. This article examines how country-level characteristics—the provision of family allowances and formal child care, and the level of working time flexibility—account for these cross-national differences, using data from the European Social Survey from 2004 and 2010 for 27 countries. Parents report greater life satisfaction in countries that offer generous financial benefits to families, high child care provision, and high working time flexibility than parents residing in counties with low levels of support. Results also show that these national contextual factors are associated with lower levels of financial strain and work–life conflicts among parents. These findings suggest that the mitigating effect of family benefits, child care provision, and working time flexibility on the psychosocial and financial burdens of parenthood is a key mechanism in the association between national contextual factors and parental life satisfaction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aassve, A., Goisis, A., & Sironi, M. (2012). Happiness and childbearing across Europe. Social Indicators Research, 108(1), 65–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aassve, A., Mencarini, L., & Sironi, M. (2015). Institutional change, happiness and fertility. European Sociological Review, 31(6), 749–765.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alesina, A., Di Tella, R., & MacCulloch, R. (2004). Inequality and happiness: Are Europeans and Americans different? Journal of Public Economics, 88(9–10), 2009–2042.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Argyle, M. (2003). Causes and correlates of happiness. In D. Kahneman, E. Diener, & N. Schwarz (Eds.), Well-being: The foundations of hedonic psychology (Vol. 353–373). New York: Russel Sage Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Billingsley, S., & Ferrarini, T. (2014). Family policy and fertility intentions in 21 European countries. Journal of Marriage and Family, 76(2), 428–445.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bird, C. E. (1997). Gender differences in the social and economic burden of parenting and psychological distress. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 59(4), 809–823.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daukantaite, D., & Zukauskiene, R. (2006). Swedish and Lithuanian employed women’s subjective well-being. International Journal of Social Welfare, 15(Suppl. 1), S23–S30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evenson, R. J., & Simon, R. W. (2005). Clarifying the relationship between parenthood and depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 46(4), 341–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fenwick, R., & Tausig, M. (2001). Scheduling stress family and health outcomes of shift work and schedule control. American Behavioral Scientist, 44(7), 1179–1198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fortin, N. M. (2005). Gender role attitudes and the labour-market outcomes of women across OECD countries. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 21(3), 416–438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallie, D., & Russel, H. (2009). Work family conflict and working conditions in Western Europe. Social Indicators Research, 93(3), 445–467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glass, J., Simon, R. W., & Anderson, K. G. (2016). Parenthood and happiness: Effects of work–family reconciliation policies in 22 OECD countries. American Journal of Sociology, 122(3), 886–929.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grzywacz, J. G., Carlson, D. S., & Shulkin, S. (2008). Schedule flexibility and stress: Linking formal flexible arrangements and perceived flexibility to employee health. Community, Work and Family, 11(2), 199–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hank, K., & Wagner, M. (2013). Parenthood, marital status, and well-being in later life: Evidence from SHARE. Social Indicators Research, 114(2), 639–653.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, T. (2012). Parenthood and happiness: A review of folk theories versus empirical evidence. Social Indicators Research, 108(1), 26–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, T., Slagsvold, B., & Moum, T. (2009). Childlessness and psychological well-being in midlife and old age: An examination of parental status effects across a range of outcomes. Social Indicators Research, 94(2), 343–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, R. K., & Brayfield, A. (1997). Life’s greatest joy? European attitudes towards the centrality of children. Social Forces, 75(4), 1239–1269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keizer, R., Dykstra, P. A., & Poortman, A.-R. (2010). The transition to parenthood and well-being: The impact of partner status and work hour transitions. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(4), 438–492.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knudsen, K., & Wærness, K. (2008). National context and spouses’ housework in 34 countries. European Sociological Review, 24(1), 97–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kohler, H.-P. (2012). Do children bring happiness and purpose in life? In E. Kaufman & W. B. Wilcox (Eds.), Whither the child? Causes and consequences of low fertility (pp. 47–75). Boulder, London: Paradigm Publisher.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohler, H.-P., Behrman, J. R., & Skytthe, A. (2005). Partner + children = happiness? The effects of partnerships and fertility on well-being. Population and Development Review, 31(3), 407–445.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kohler, H.-P., & Mencarini, L. (2016). The Parenthood Happiness Puzzle: An Introduction to the Special Issue. European Journal of Population, 32(3), 327–338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luppi, F. (2016). When is the second one coming? The effect of couple’s subjective well-being following the onset of parenthood. European Journal of Population, 32(3), 421–444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Margolis, R., & Myrskylä, M. (2011). A global perspective on happiness and fertility. Population and Development Review, 37(1), 29–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Margolis, R., & Myrskylä, M. (2015). Parental well-being surrounding first birth as a determinant of further parity progression. Demography, 52(4), 1147–1166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mattingly, M. J., & Sayer, L. C. (2006). Under pressure: Gender differences in the relationship between free time and feeling rushed. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68(1), 205–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matysiak, A., Mencarini, L., & Vignoli, D. (2016). Work–family conflict moderates the relationship between childbearing and subjective well-being. European Journal of Population, 32(3), 355–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLanahan, S., & Adams, J. (1987). Parenthood and psychological well-being. Annual Review of Sociology, 13, 237–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mikucka, M. (2016). How does parenthood affect life satisfaction in Russia? Advances in Life Course Research, 30, 16–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Misra, J., Budig, M. J., & Boeckmann, I. (2011). Work–family policies and the effects of children on women’s employment hours and wages. Community, Work & Family, 14(2), 139–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Misra, J., Moller, S., Strader, E., & Wemlinger, E. (2012). Family policies, employment and poverty among partnered and single mothers. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 30(1), 113–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mollborn, S. (2007). Making the best of a bad situation: Material resources and teenage parenthood. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69(1), 92–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moller, S., Huber, E., Stephens, J. D., Bradley, D., & Nielsen, F. (2003). Determinants of relative poverty in advanced capitalist democracies. American Sociological Review, 68(1), 22–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Musick, K., Meier, A., & Flood, S. (2014). How parents fare: Mothers’ and fathers’ subjective well-being in time with children. Los Angeles: California Center for Population Research (PWP-CCPR-2014-010).

    Google Scholar 

  • Myrskylä, M., & Margolis, R. (2014). Happiness: Before and after the kids. Demography, 51(5), 1843–1866.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, S. K., Kushlev, K., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2014). The pains and pleasures of parenting: When, why, and how is parenthood associated with more or less well-being? Psychological Bulletin, 140(3), 846–895.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nomaguchi, K. M. (2012). Parenthood and psychological well-being: Clarifying the role of child age and parent-child relationship quality. Social Science Research, 41(2), 489–498.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nomaguchi, K. M., & Milkie, M. A. (2003). Costs and rewards of children: The effects of becoming a parent on adult’s lives. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65(2), 356–374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2014). OECD family database. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Offer, S., & Schneider, B. (2011). Revisiting the gender gap in time-use patterns multitasking and well-being among mothers and fathers in dual-earner families. American Sociological Review, 76(6), 809–833.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ono, H., & Lee, K. S. (2013). Welfare states and the redistribution of happiness. Social Forces, 92(2), 789–814.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pettit, B., & Hook, J. (2005). The structure of women’s employment in comparative perspective. Social Forces, 84(2), 779–801.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pollmann-Schult, M. (2014). Parenthood and life satisfaction: Why don’t children make people happy? Journal of Marriage and Family, 76(2), 319–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rizzi, E. L., & Mikucka, M. (2015). The happiness-parenthood link in a context of limited state support: The case of Switzerland. FORS Working Paper Series, paper 2015-3. Lausanne: FORS.

  • Ross, C. E., & Mirowsky, J. (1988). Child care and emotional adjustment to wives’ employment. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 29(2), 127–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ross, C. E., & Van Willigen, M. (1996). Gender, parenthood, and anger. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58(3), 572–584.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schieman, S., Milkie, M. A., & Glavin, P. (2009). When work interferes with life: Work-nonwork interference and the influence of work-related demands and resources. American Sociological Review, 74(6), 966–988.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sobotka, S., & Testa, M. R. (2008). Attitudes and intentions toward childlessness in Europe. In C. Höhn, D. Avramov, & I. Kotowska (Eds.), People, population change and policies. Lessons from the Population Policy Acceptance Study (Vol. 1, pp. 177–211). Berlin: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Stanca, L. (2012). Suffer the little children: Measuring the effects of parenthood on well-being world-wide. Journal of Economic Behavior & Oranization, 81(3), 742–750.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steiber, N., & Haas, B. (2009). Ideals or compromises? The attitude–behaviour relationship in mothers’ employment. Socio-Economic Review, 7(4), 639–668.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanturri, M. L., Mills, M., Rotkirch, A., Sobotka, T., Takács, J., Miettinen, A., et al. (2015). State-of-the-art report: Childlessness in Europe. Families and Societies Working Paper Series 32.

  • Umberson, D., & Gove, W. R. (1989). Parenthood and psychological well-being: Theory, measurement, and stage in the family life course. Journal of Family Issues, 10(4), 440–462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winslow, S. (2005). Work–family conflict, gender, and parenthood, 1977–1997. Journal of Family Issues, 26(6), 727–755.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This study was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), Grant Number: PO 1569/5.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Human Sciences, Magdeburg University, Zschokkestraße 32, 39104, Magdeburg, Germany

    Matthias Pollmann-Schult

Authors
  1. Matthias Pollmann-Schult
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthias Pollmann-Schult.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The author declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 6.

Table 6 Respondents’ characteristics by survey year: descriptive statistics
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pollmann-Schult, M. Parenthood and Life Satisfaction in Europe: The Role of Family Policies and Working Time Flexibility. Eur J Population 34, 387–411 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-017-9433-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-017-9433-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation