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Science works out the best child combination for happiest parents
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Science works out the best child combination for happiest parents

Is it a household of girls, a household of boys, or a mix of the two best for parents?
2 September 2022 4:47PM

Is it a household of girls, a household of boys, or a mix of the two best for parents?

According to a survey conducted by British parenting website Bounty, two girls are considered the best combination for parents to have a happy and harmonious family life.

In their study, they surveyed 2,116 parents who had children aged 16 and under. Their measurements were based on the ease of caring for children dependent on their behaviour, such as who was more likely to help around the house, and who “generally like each other.”

Combinations of two girls were found to rarely annoy their parents, make limited noise, often confide in their parents and are unlikely to wind each other up or ignore each other.

However, mums and dads with four girls turned out to be the least happy with family life overall, with one in four of those admitting they were not 100 per cent happy with their kids - and one in three finding it hard to cope on a daily basis. They were also more likely to fight with their siblings and wind each other up.

The study didn’t account for families with one child.

Best to worst combinations of siblings, according to British web site Bounty.com:
1. Two girls 
2. One boy and one girl 
3. Two boys 
4. Three girls 
5. Three boys 
6. Four boys 
7. Two girls and one boy 
8. Two boys and one girl 
9. Three boys and one girl 
10. Three girls and one boy 
11. Two boys and two girls 
12. Four girls