Are Religious Parents More Satisfied Parents? Individual- and Couple-Level Religious Correlates of Parenting Satisfaction

Abstract

Using data from the 2014 Baylor Religion Survey, we examine the relationship between various aspects of religion and parenting satisfaction. Results confirm prior research findings that personal religiosity is positively associated with parenting satisfaction. We also find that religious heterogamy among couples is associated with lower odds of being a satisfied parent. Furthermore, parents who view their parenting as holy or sacred have much higher odds of reporting being satisfied as parents, and the observed relationships between religiosity and parenting satisfaction at both the individual and couple levels are no longer statistically significant in models controlling for parenting sanctification. The religiously unaffiliated have higher odds than evangelical Protestants of having high parenting satisfaction, suggesting the possible presence of parenting pressures within religious communities with a strong emphasis on family life.