Are couples without kids happier than parents?

A new study reveals couples without children may be happier than parents.

It's no surprise that kids may put a strain on some marriages, regardless of how cute they are, but British researchers from Open University surveyed more than 5,000 people of all ages, statuses and sexual orientations and found childless couples are more satisfied in life with their significant others and feel more valued by their partners than did those with kids.

The Telegraph reported that the study also found mothers overall were happier than any other group, while childless women were the least happy. Dads, on the other hand, were a little less happy than men without children. When asked who was the most important person in their lives, mothers named their children; fathers named their partners.

As a married mother, I couldn't imagine my life without my two small children. Am I tired all the time? Yes. Do I miss being able to read, watch TV, exercise (insert any activity) when I want to? Sure. But more often than not, I'm overwhelmed with love, no matter how exhausted I may feel. Would my husband and I be happy without the little ones? I'm sure we would be, but it's hard to give a fair answer when the kids are already in our lives.

Any marriage -- with kids or no kids -- takes work. The university’s researchers also found simple, everyday gestures, such as saying "I love you" or treating your spouse to breakfast in bed, helps partners feel valued in a marriage, regardless of whether they have children.