Children play as the sun sets, on the beach in Gaza City. Having children isn't a guarantee of happiness according to one expert. Photo / AP file
If you want to live happily ever after, don't have children, go to university or live near a lottery winner.
Professor Paul Dolan, a "happiness expert" from the London School of Economics, says our desire to keep up with the Joneses and have a family because that is expected of
us can be detrimental to our well-being.
"It would be awful if anything happened to them, but the experiences we have with children are largely miserable," he told the Hay Festival.
"For some people, having children is great. But for a lot of people it isn't and the idea that we can't talk openly about why that might be is a problem."
He added that the happiest sub-group of the population is single women without children.