Liberals are too anxious to have children, according to a new report from the Institute for Family Studies (IFS). The report revealed a stark divide between liberals and conservatives when it comes to parenting and children – explaining years of anecdotal evidence indicating that conservatives have the upper hand when it comes to family ties and child-rearing.

The study found that, on average, liberals have only 1.09 children compared to 1.4 for conservatives. More than half of liberals have no children, compared with 40 per cent of conservatives. This divide is apparently due to mental health concerns and anxieties (shocking, I know).

One in five liberals worries about whether they will be a good parent, compared with one in 10 conservatives. Moreover, nearly 40 per cent of liberals fear that parenting will be extremely “difficult and stressful”, compared to fewer than 25 per cent of conservatives. Finally, almost one in five liberals is afraid that they will pass on genetic or mental health defects to their children, compared to one in 10 conservatives.

These results are not as surprising as many imply. It is no secret that conservatives are more open to life than their liberal peers, and that they place a heavy emphasis on family, faith and community – all of which increase confidence in, and incentives for, having children.

What is more, in the age of “gentle parenting” and other disastrous parenting trends, conservatives continue to value discipline, structure and order. These virtues are essential for high-functioning families. Not only that, but implementing these virtues and seeing the positive effects they have on young children increases parenting confidence.

Conservatives are also more likely to grow up in strong communities and families that prioritise traditional values, faith and family. Being surrounded by like-minded peers who are pursuing marriage and parenthood cannot help but increase the confidence of young men and women who similarly desire this vocation.

Many of these truths I have seen firsthand in my own conservative community. I grew up in a rural area surrounded by dozens of large conservative Catholic families. My own large family helped me to value the beauty of life, and the joy that siblings bring, from a very young age. It also helped increase my confidence and desire to be a mother someday – my responsibilities caring for my family through shared chores, babysitting and prayer for more than 25 years have given me a vast advantage over my liberal peers.

Not only that, but my surrounding community is full of young conservative women who are embracing motherhood together. I recently saw a photograph of five best friends who were pregnant at the same time. Their genuine joy was refreshing to see. Though they may face the same anxieties and challenges that any new mother encounters, the fact that they are all going through this phase of life together, and that they have generations of family members and friends who have done the same, has likely played a powerful role in the confidence they have in starting their own families. This phenomenon – seemingly common in conservative communities – puts us at a major advantage when it comes to parenting confidence.

Unfortunately, liberals likely struggle in this area because they typically have more mental health challenges or anxiety than conservatives. Liberals are also more likely than conservatives to sever relationships – even family relationships – if they disagree politically or morally. They are less likely to be religious and, in general, are less inclined to become parents. Poor mental health and less support, combined with the feminist mentalities that are rife among liberal women, are likely major drivers behind liberals’ low parenting confidence and smaller family size.

In fact, the IFS report found that people who “believe they might not be good parents report 63 per cent fewer children on average than those who do not hold this belief”.

This suggests that liberals’ child problem compounds over time. If conservatives are benefiting from generational attitudes and support that increase parenting confidence and family size, then liberal parents are likely suffering from generations of value systems that undermine the traditional values that are essential for confident parenting.

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