When people feel like a relationship is failing, they may take drastic steps to save it. They don’t want to get divorced, and they think that they can still make it work. In some cases, you’ll see people say that they just need to have a baby together, and that will fix the issues that they’ve been having.
People sometimes have this perspective because they think that the new child will give them something to focus on. They will come together as parents and work together to raise their child. This will draw them closer together and will rekindle the relationship that they used to have. But is that really going to happen?
Marital satisfaction declines
When you look at the statistics, researchers find that having a child generally doesn’t make people feel more satisfied with their existing relationship. Instead, it actually causes marital satisfaction to decline. This is true even for couples who weren’t thinking about divorce prior to having the child, and who do stay together after becoming parents. They still see a decline in their overall happiness with the relationship, especially right after the child is born.
What this means is that having a child in an already troubled relationship could just be the catalyst that causes a divorce. If marital satisfaction is already low, the child is likely just going to lower it further. Additionally, having a child at this time is going to make things more stressful and complicated during the divorce. The couple will have to make custody decisions, rather than just dividing property.
Are you getting divorced?
Have you noticed a reduction in satisfaction in your own relationship, and do you think that it is heading for divorce? Be sure you know about your legal options.