The widely held view that many parents are trapped in unhappy, loveless marriages is a myth, according to research.
No married mother consistently reported feeling miserable during the 14 years couples were surveyed.
The groundbreaking Marriage Foundation study followed more than 6,200 parents with children born between 2000 and 2002. The researchers said their findings dispel the myth that a significant number of people are trapped in miserable marriages.
They found that 69 percent of mothers and fathers start out happy, and that these couples are more likely to stay together. It was the couples who were “neither happy nor unhappy” who had the highest breakup rates.
The study asked couples how happy they were with their relationship when their child was nine months old, then three, five, seven, 11 and 14 years old. About 75 percent of mothers who were “happy” at nine months remained with their partner during the study, compared to 65 percent of “unhappy” mothers and 54 percent of “none” mothers. .
No married mother consistently reported feeling miserable during the 14 years the couples were surveyed (file photo)
The study asked couples how happy they were with their relationship when their child was nine months old, then three, five, seven, 11 and 14 years old (file photo).
About 75 percent of mothers who were “happy” at nine months remained with their partner during the study (file photo)
Researchers also found that couples who marry before having a baby are more likely to stay together.
Harry Benson, research director at the Marriage Foundation, said: “This data conclusively shatters the myth that thousands of couples are trapped in unhappy marriages.
“As this data shows, this narrative, often pushed by those who dislike the institution of marriage, is baseless.”
He added that the results show that: “Those who are unhappy break things or fix things.” Sir Paul Coleridge, former judge and founder of the Marriage Foundation, said: “Every married couple knows there are good times and bad times.”
“But just as perpetually happy couples are the stuff of Disney legends, so is the other extreme, perpetually unhappy couples. They are very rare.
“This new research does not confirm a large cohort of trapped and miserable couples.”
