Political science-people plan your sex-life

This is an awesome little post on Crrrooked Timberrrr which neatly illustrates that yes, the gendered division of labour is still a problem.

Now, the corollary to that - which, btw, I only remembered where I had read due to intense psychological strain, seeing as how I read that stuff yesterday. Am I supposed to remember where I read things for more than 24 hours now? - is this post by Ezra Klein:

The Cowans found that the drop in marital satisfaction was basically a localized phenomenon: It came among the parents who didn't share the same outlook on parenthood. But "couples who planned or equally welcomed the conception were likely to maintain or even increase their marital satisfaction after the child was born." More interestingly, the financial strains matter. "Once a child arrives," writes Koontz, "lack of paid parental leave often leads the wife to quit her job and the husband to work more. This produces discontent on both sides. The wife resents her husband’s lack of involvement in child care and housework. The husband resents his wife’s ingratitude for the long hours he works to support the family."

In conclusion, we may say that this week's hot tip from the political science crowd is to check that you and your partner think similarly about having kids before jumping in bed (which you just bought, together, at IKEA) with them. Word for the wise, people.