Jenet Erickson

Wendy Wang, a demographer at the Institute for Family Studies, and Jenet Erickson, an associate professor at Brigham Young University, explore the nuanced relationship between motherhood and happiness. They argue that married mothers often report higher levels of happiness, attributing this to the benefits of physical touch and deeper community connections. Discussion includes the contrasting experiences of married versus cohabiting women and the profound sense of purpose that children provide. The episode challenges common perceptions about maternal dissatisfaction, revealing a more complex reality.