The conclusions fit the findings well; the methodology was strong; and there were no limitations mentioned but this research was not "an indictment of parenthood." The authors stress that when couples think they will strengthen their marriage by having children, that is likely to "backfire, and all parties will suffer" (Twenge, 582). Wall Street Journal (Europe) article: The goals of this piece were to determine if marriage is better or worse among newest generation of married couples -- and the results of this survey of 90 studies involving 31,000 married people indicate the "…after the first baby's birth" marital satisfaction is 42% lower among the newest generation of parents (mostly Gen-Xers) than in previous generations (Shellenbarger, 2004). Additional research referenced by the author reflects that "one-third to one-half of new parents" have the same amount of stress as couples that are already going through marriage counseling. This is an article in a newspaper and hence there are limited data on how findings were achieved, but Shellenbarger reports that "child-related spending" in households is causing financial stress. "Marketers have shrewdly positioned a flood of costly new products" including a "crib-linen set" at $300 (225 Euros) and a $700 stroller-bassinet combo (p. 2). The most important skill is "…to be able to talk without fighting" on parenting, issues said Howard Markman, marriage educator/counselor (Shellenbarger, p. 2).

Article in the Journal of Family Psychology: This is a longitudinal study that followed newlyweds for six years; 43 of the couples had a child, 39 remained childless. Interviewed about their previous relationships, it was shown that what predicted...

59). What predicted the "decline in marital satisfaction of mothers" was the husband's "negativity towards his wife" and his disappointment in the marriage (Shapiro, 59). The variables were presented in a correlational context, the author's conclusions and hypotheses matched well, the methodology was strong, and the article suggests "further research" be done on "interventions designed to aid couples becoming parents" (Shapiro, 70).
In conclusion, it is seemingly not possible to find objective research showing that having a child makes the marriage stronger or makes the parents happier, so the results of these surveys are not a surprise. What should be done, as Shapiro suggests, is the development of worthy intervention programs that can help the married couple prepare for the changes once the baby is in the household.

Works Cited

De Leon, Ferdinand M. (1999). Rocking The Cradle -- And A Marriage -- After D-Day: Programs

Help Couples Prepare For Parenthood. Seattle Times. Retrieved January 18, 2012 from http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com.

Shellenbarger, Sue. (2004). Career Journal -- Work & Family: A Growing Number of Marriages

Fail After Baby. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 17, 2012, from ProQuest.

Shapiro, Alyson Fearnley, Gottman, John M., and Carrere, Sybil. (2000). The baby and the marriage: Identifying factors that buffer against decline in marital satisfaction after the first baby arrives. Journal of Family Psychology,…