Reading that headline, would you simply conclude that most parents are cruel and most children are annoying, or would you be somewhat shocked and ask what is going on? It’s not even the fact that we find the concept of being irritated by one’s child unimaginable; I’m a parent, trust me, it’s very imaginable. I can also almost accept that a small minority of parents go through a period of time long enough to be labeled ‘a phase’ during which they prefer spending time with other people’s children, but 70%? That is the part that is difficult to digest.

It’s hard to fathom even if applied to other, perhaps less emotive, scenarios. For example, consider hearing the following: 70% of business partners go through a phase where they prefer spending time working on other people’s businesses away from their partner; 70% of pet owners prefer interacting with other people’s pets; 70% of people dining at home prefer to bring something from an outside source rather than eat what was cooked at home; 70% of sports fans who go to see a match prefer to watch another game on their phones rather than the one being played live in front of them. We would not just accept any of these statements and allow things to continue as they are. We would demand an explanation and actively look for a solution to remedy the problem. And if statistics do not improve, you’d be entitled to ask what is the point of having children, getting into a business partnership, owning pets, cooking at home, or going to live matches.