In a recent survey administered by the Pew Research Center, the importance of children to a successful marriage has fallen to the eighth spot out of nine in total. While placing third on a similar 1990 survey, it seems children are no longer the most important component to a happy marriage. Ahead of having offspring comes “sharing household chores,” “good housing,” “adequate income,” a “happy sexual relationship,” and “faithfulness.”

Is this fall in child rearing a reflection on the changing attitude towards marriage—an attitude more focused on the relationship of marriage as opposed to the procreation?