Couples with children are 'rarely stuck in unhappy marriages'

by · Mail Online

The widely-held view that many parents are trapped in loveless, unhappy marriages is a myth, according to research.

Not a single married mother consistently reported being miserable during the 14 years that couples were surveyed.

The groundbreaking study from the Marriage Foundation tracked more than 6,200 parents with children born between 2000 and 2002. Researchers said their findings dispel the myth that a significant number of people are stuck in miserable marriages. 

They found that 69 per cent of mothers and fathers start off happy, with these couples most likely to stay together. It was couples who were 'neither happy nor unhappy' who had the highest break-up rates.

The study asked couples how happy they were with their relationship when their child was nine months, then three, five, seven, 11 and 14 years old. Some 75 per cent of mothers who at the nine-month mark were 'happy' remained together with their partner during the study, compared to 65 per cent of 'unhappy' mothers and 54 per cent of 'neither' mothers.

Not a single married mother consistently reported being miserable during the 14 years that couples were surveyed (stock photo)
The study asked couples how happy they were with their relationship when their child was nine months, then three, five, seven, 11 and 14 years old (stock photo)
Some 75 per cent of mothers who at the nine-month mark were 'happy' remained together with their partner during the study (stock photo)

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Researchers also found that couples who get married before having a baby have the best chance of staying together.

Harry Benson, research director of the Marriage Foundation, said: 'This data conclusively busts 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 without merit.'

He added that the findings show that: 'Those who are unhappy either break-up or work things out.' Sir Paul Coleridge, former judge and founder of Marriage Foundation, said: 'Every married couple knows that there are good times and bad.

'But just as perpetually happy couples are the stuff of Disney legends so is the other extreme, perpetually unhappy couples. They are very rare.

'A vast cohort of trapped, miserable couples is just not borne out by this new research.'