03/06/2025

LYFE TUESDAY | JUNE 3, 2025

FOLLOW

ON FACEBOOK

24

Malaysian Paper

/thesundaily /

PARENTHOOD is frequently perceived as an essential step towards personal fulfilment. Yet behind this tenacious myth lies a more nuanced reality. Having children does not necessarily make you happier, but it may well make life more meaningful, according to a major European study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family . Conducted by sociologist Dr. Ansgar Hudde and Professor Marita Jacob, both researchers at the University of Cologne, this sociological survey is based on the responses of over 43,000 Europeans from 30 countries, questioned as part of the European Social Survey. Their aim was to identify the effects of parenthood on the two pillars of well-being: life satisfaction and the feeling of leading a meaningful life. They found being a parent does not systematically make people happier, especially over the long term. On the other hand, it does profoundly alter people’s perception of their own existence. “Previous debates about parenthood have focused too much on happiness and satisfaction. “Our study shows people who have children are not automatically happier, but they are more likely to feel that their own lives are meaningful and valuable,” Hudde explained in a news release However, the relationship between While 33% said they prefer a more gentle approach, letting the child decide when to stop, a majority of parents opt for more classic methods, such as keeping a child’s hand away from their mouth (61%) or explaining to the child that they are “too old” for this kind of behaviour (25%). Others turn to more extreme tactics, such as cutting a hole in the pacifier (10%) to make it less appealing. Some even go as far as to put an unappetising substance on their child’s thumbs and fingers, such as hot sauce or Vaseline. G IVING up a pacifier and/or thumb sucking can be a challenging process for some children. A recent US survey revealed parents are not lacking in imagination when it comes to helping their offsprings through this transition. A pacifier and thumb/finger sucking can help lull babies to sleep in the first months and years of their life. So much so that giving up this habit can become a real challenge. A recent US survey, conducted by the University of Michigan CS Mott Children’s Hospital among more than 2,000 parents with at least one child aged one to six years old, serves as a reminder that this habit is widespread. That soothing feeling Around half of the parents (51%) said their children currently or previously used a pacifier, while about one-quarter of parents (23%) reported their child currently or previously sucked their thumb or fingers. According to their feedback, these methods of self-soothing are typically used at bedtime or nap time (79% for pacifiers, 57% for thumb/finger sucking), when children are stressed or fussy (47% for both), or when watching TV or videos (10% for pacifiers, 24% for thumb/fingers). Only 18% say their child uses a pacifier almost all the time (14% for thumb/fingers). While some children are perfectly capable of giving up this habit on their own, quitting sucking a pacifier or the thumb or fingers may require some training. And there are plenty of strategies available, as the responses of the parents who took part in the survey demonstrate. The most frequently cited methods include limiting the pacifier to bedtime, hiding it, or even pretending to have lost it.

Imaginative measures measures o Parents get creative to reduce pacifier use, thumb sucking

Parents can resort to other stimuli to distract a child from needing a pacifier.

There are a variety of ways to stop a baby from being over-dependent on a pacifier.

So, at what age should a child be encouraged to kick the habit? Recommendations vary from country to country – the Canadian Paediatric Society, for example, recommended stopping as early as 12 months, while the American Academy of Paediatrics advised a gradual reduction in the use of pacifiers and/or thumb sucking from 18 months. However, health professionals generally agreed this habit should be stopped altogether between the ages of two and four. Beyond that age, the risks to the child’s health become more significant. Prolonged sucking can lead to misalignment of the teeth, deformation of the palate or malpositioning of the tongue, all of which can result in speech disorders (stuttering, lisping), as well as delays in language and vocabulary. – ETX Studio

U-M Health CS Mott Children’s Hospital paediatrician and the Mott Poll co-director Susan Woolford, MD pointed out there are many strategies for helping a child give up thumb or pacifier sucking, such as reading a book or watching a video on the subject, or encouraging the child with small rewards. “Substituting a stuffed animal or soft doll may also provide an alternate self-soothing option for the child,” the expert suggested in a news release. Dental health and speech development The survey also revealed, according to the parents, the “right” age to stop pacifier use is between zero and two years old (79%), while 15% consider it acceptable to break the habit at age three or over. A small proportion feel they acted too late to stop their child’s pacifier use (9%) or thumb/finger sucking (16%).

Many experts agree it is best to stop the child from using pacifiers between ages two and four.

Does parenting make you feel more fulfilled?

life, the boundaries blur. Whether men or women, rich or poor, parents are more likely to say their existence has value. This sense of meaning transcends borders and social circumstances. And under certain conditions, happiness and meaning can go hand in hand. This is typically the case in the Nordic countries, where family policies and institutional support enable parents to reconcile personal fulfilment and parenthood. “The results show good societal conditions can make both things possible – meaning and satisfaction,” stressed Hudde. Indeed, the researcher recalled Germany, at the turn of the 2010s, had initiated a shift towards a Scandinavian model in terms of family policy. But, this momentum ran out of steam. Today, the researchers are calling for a rethink of family support policies, reducing time pressure and improving financial aid. Among the major findings of the study, the researchers reported the birth of a first child triggers a peak in satisfaction, which is short-lived. On the other hand, the feeling of having a meaningful life takes hold for good. It is a reminder, while parenthood does not guarantee happiness, it can offer a sense of direction, a reason for being that can help us withstand the ups and downs of everyday life. – ETX Studio

While parenthood does not guarantee happiness, it can offer a sense of direction. – ALL PICS FROM PEXELS

much less pronounced among women from wealthier backgrounds. And for men, the parental factor seems to carry little weight in life satisfaction, regardless of social background. But when it comes to finding meaning in

parenthood and life satisfaction varies in relation to social circumstances. Mothers from modest backgrounds have a lower level of life satisfaction than women from equivalent socio-economic backgrounds without children. On the other hand, this difference is