In the past decade, significant reforms have occurred in people’s mindsets, with some views on life changing drastically, including their attitudes toward family. Many are moving the goal of building a family to a secondary plan and, even then, are opting for smaller families with one to two children, due to the advantages that come with it.
First and foremost, with each generation, people are growing up more determined to be as financially independent as possible, thus committing to building a family only when assured that their income is stable enough to provide a decent life for their children. Due to this, many men and women are not ready to have children until they are older than is socially acceptable, which allows them only a little time to build what society calls a full-fledged family. However, contrary to popular belief, there are numerous advantages that come with a small number of offspring. One such advantage is the ability to give them a good, fulfilling life, without worrying about being unable to afford a proper education or basic necessities. Additionally, it is a fact that when there are fewer children in the family, their parents are able to give each of them more attention and love, without exhausting their own emotional resources; that is why single children are usually known to be more spoiled and catered to than those with siblings
On the other hand, because people are choosing not to have many children, the birth rate in many countries is lowering with each passing year, a fact that may prove fatal within the next decades, when the global population will inevitably decrease. Aside from this, from a psychological perspective, children without siblings tend to grow up more entitled and egotistical, unable to share and holding an excessively high appreciation for their personal space and time.
This factor, however, strongly depends on the parents and the way they educate their children.
In short, despite the disadvantages, smaller families are the norm in today’s world, as people understand that a family is not just a spouse and enough children to form a football team, but rather the people whom you love and cherish, those with whom any place on earth feels like home. So, no matter what society dictates, everyone should decide for themselves and choose whatever makes them happy and fulfilled.