Transition to Parenthood

The Association Between Expectations and Family-Life Satisfaction

Bibliographic Data

ID21209417
AuthorsChau B Tran (0000-0001-5003-5066, Tilburg University, corresponding author), Katya Ivanova (0000-0002-8823-9766, Tilburg University), Anne K Reitz (0000-0001-7286-2257, Tilburg University), Olga Stavrova (0000-0002-6079-4151, Tilburg University)
Year2024
Volume15
Issue8
Pages908-920
Publication date2024-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Psychological and Personality Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1948-5506 • E-ISSN: 1948-5514
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/19485506241260570
OpenAlexW4400986503
LanguageEN
References cited50

Parenthood is often assumed to profoundly impact well-being. Yet, few studies have explored how the transition to parenthood relates to parent’s family-life satisfaction, and existing research has produced conflicting results. We propose that expected costs and rewards of having children (individual differences in the perceived value of children in one’s life) could explain the mixed findings. Following respondents in a nationally representative panel study from Germany up to 11 years ( N total = 6,850, N parents = 1,196), we found that positive expectations (i.e., higher reward/lower cost) were associated with a higher likelihood of parenthood. Among parents, negative expectations were associated with lower family-life satisfaction as measured by parenting pleasure and family satisfaction; however, expectations did not predict the trajectory post birth. This study underlines the role of expectations about being a parent for the transition to parenthood and for family-life satisfaction once a parent

Developmental psychology · Family life · Life satisfaction · Pleasure · Sociology · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Psychology · Social Psychology

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