Family life

 One thing that seems normal to most people is their father or mother leaving for work. Usually for 8-10 hours per day. My own Father worked a 9-5 job for as long as i’ve been alive, however what's worth considering is that this is a pretty recent development in the scope of humanity. Pre-industrial revolution families often went to work on the farm with their father. Spending the majority of the day with their family in relatively close proximity. 

It is very common for women to hold a baby with the baby facing themselves, while men typically face the baby outwards and point things about the world out to them. Men are more focused on launching the baby out into the world, while women are more concerned with developing emotions within their child and keeping them close to home. To further drive this phenomenon home we also know that men are much more physically rough with their children than women.

Speaking of families, why is the amount of children being born decreasing worldwide? Why do we see that the amount of children per family is also decreasing? There are many explanations, however I believe the underlying reason is a cultural shift. More and more people are interested in equality. Minorities feel they are not equal to certain cultures, poor people feel they aren't equal to rich people. These people so concerned with equality want everybody else who either earned or was given more than them to be brought down to their level. We see this especially in reference to women having children. They are starting to see children as a burden, financially, socially and economically. They don’t want to slow down their career or miss social events because of their child. This cultural shift is happening in most of the developed world, and I believe it is the true cause of the downward slope in child births worldwide. So if we agree to this premise, then we should ask what is the return on our investment? The truth is that women are statistically less happy and less fulfilled than they have ever been! I do not presume to tell people what is best for themselves and their own lives however it is worth knowing the statistics, women who have children and stay home and raise them report as much happier than their business women counterparts. 

One of the other things that affects people's happiness is money and how much or how little they have. In reality more money doesn't buy happiness, 

“above a certain level more money doesn't actually yield more happiness. Not only did earning more money make participants happier, but it also protected them from things which might make them unhappier.”

A quote I hear often is “I don't want to make my kid have to work, I want them to be able to play.” However a good amount of work will actually increase happiness, it will teach a child that work doesn't need to be dreaded and it can be enjoyed and you may realize that a lot of your own happy memories were during work! Think about it this way, if you and your kids are playing Mario Kart. Pretty harmless game as far as video games go, yet when you're playing with 4 people how many people can win? Only one. So what you're playing for fun is subconsciously teaching you that 3 of you are losers. Your mindset is a large factor in this and competitiveness isn't inherently evil, but all things must be done in moderation for ultimate happiness if that is your goal.