Khaberni - Entering the stage of parenthood is a life-altering experience for many couples, bringing joy but also imposing challenges on romantic relationships. While some studies suggest that raising children together can strengthen the bond between partners, other studies indicate that parenthood may lead to pressures that reduce relationship satisfaction.
Among these pressures are lack of sleep, chronic fatigue, financial problems, and conflicts between work and family life. However, the impact of parenthood on emotional relationships has not been consistently documented, and cultural factors seem to have a significant influence.
A wide-ranging international study, recently published in the journal Human Nature on October 24, 2025, offers new insights into the impact of parenthood on romantic love. Led by Agnieszka Zielszniovitch from the University of Wroclaw in Poland, the study involved more than 3100 volunteers from 25 countries, including Australia, India, Romania, Brazil, Belgium, and Vietnam. Most participants were married (82%), with the remainder engaged (18%). All participants completed the "Sternberg Triangular Scale of Love," a questionnaire used to measure three main components in romantic relationships: intimacy, passion, and commitment. They also provided information about the number of children they had and other personal data such as age.
The researchers compared 699 childless individuals with 2,488 parents, and the results showed that parents reported a clear decrease in overall romantic love compared to those without children. Detailed analyses showed that intimacy and passion, which are essential in an emotional relationship, decreased among parents, while commitment remained relatively stable. Interestingly, the number of children did not increase the impact of the decline, suggesting that having just one child can affect relationship satisfaction.
The researchers link this decrease in intimacy and passion to the additional pressures, fatigue, and financial problems associated with raising children, which may limit emotional closeness and reduce physical and emotional attraction between partners, impacting marital satisfaction.
The study highlights the importance of couples making conscious efforts to maintain emotional bonds when transitioning to parenthood. Activities such as setting aside quality time together, fostering open communication, and supporting each other's well-being can help maintain intimacy and passion, despite the demands of raising children.
