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Parenting

25th May 2016

Study Reveals Couples Who Have Sons Are More Likely to Stay Together

Trine Jensen-Burke

A lot has been said about mums harbouring secret (or not so secret) wishes when it comes to the gender of the baby they are carrying.

But did you know that – according to research – whether you give birth to a boy or a girl could actually determine the longevity of your relationship?

Oh, it’s true. According to The Economist, data from the past decade indicates that parents with a son are more likely to stay together than those with a daughter.

Say what?!

Gordon Dahl at the University of California, San Diego and Enrico Moretti at the University of California, Berkeley discovered this worrying trend while analyzing census data. As part of their findings, the researchers also revealed that men are more likely to propose to their pregnant partners if they’re carrying a son and that, in the event of divorce, men with sons are more likely to get custody.

Economist at the University of Miami, Laura Guiliano, weighed in too, and discovered that sons, to a larger degree that daughters, have a profound impact on their fathers. In fact, in her research, men were more likely to share their excitement about having a child if it was a boy, and they also helped out more around the home. Which again lead to women being more likely to praise their husbands and reported feeling happier about their relationship.

Wow. How crazy are these stats?

Do YOU have boys or girls? Did YOU ever felt it mattered to your partners what gender the baby was, or were you both just happy to have a healthy, gorgeous baby? Let us know in the comments or tweet us at @Herfamilydotie