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The Stress Cost of Children

Author

Listed:
  • Buddelmeyer, Hielke

    () (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research)

  • Hamermesh, Daniel S.

    () (Barnard College)

  • Wooden, Mark

    () (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research)

Abstract

We use longitudinal data describing couples in Australia from 2001-12 and Germany from 2002-12 to examine how demographic events affect perceived time and financial stress. Consistent with the view of measures of stress as proxies for the Lagrangean multipliers in models of household production, we show that births increase time stress, especially among mothers, and that the effects last at least several years. Births generally also raise financial stress slightly. The monetary equivalent of the costs of the extra time stress is very large. While the departure of a child from the home reduces parents' time stress, its negative impacts on the tightness of the time constraints are much smaller than the positive impacts of a birth.

Suggested Citation

  • Buddelmeyer, Hielke & Hamermesh, Daniel S. & Wooden, Mark, 2015. "The Stress Cost of Children," IZA Discussion Papers 8793, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8793
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Beuchert, Louise Voldby & Humlum, Maria Knoth & Vejlin, Rune, 2016. "The length of maternity leave and family health," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 55-71.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    children; demographic economics; time use;

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J20 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - General

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