A new report (pdf) looks at how to maintain happiness after the children arrive. Some advice from the authors:
[I]n today’s marriages both wives and husbands benefit when they embrace an ethic of marital generosity that puts the welfare of their spouse first. That is, both are happier in their marriages when they make a regular effort to serve their spouse in small ways — from making them a cup of coffee, to giving them a back rub after a long day, to going out of their way to be affectionate or forgiving. So the lesson here is not for wives now to throw off an other-centered ethic as a relic of an ancient era, but rather for contemporary husbands to embrace this ethic for themselves and their families.
Dreher nods:
I find from experience that this is deeply true. It’s a challenge, certainly, but it has its rewards. I’m really glad we live in a time in which it’s a normal thing for men to help with cooking, cleaning the kitchen, and so forth.
The Dish 