In the contemporary era, various couples are deciding to have children later in life. This essay will elucidate the underlying causes and reasons why this phenomenon should be regarded as a detrimental development.
There are several contributors to the decision to have children in families. Firstly, with the substantial development of society, living expenditures—food, clothes, or even interest rates—are escalating correspondingly. Thus, the appearance of new members, particularly babies, makes it challenging for parents to accommodate living demands. For example, there has been a significant increase in the number of families making the decision to have children later owing to financial issues. This, in turn, enables couples to mitigate financial burdens. Furthermore, if families decide to have children early, this can compel them to spend much more time nurturing and taking care of their children, translating into sacrificing husbands’ or wives’ careers. Consequently, men and women’s decisions regarding later births can empower them to keep pursuing their jobs. These factors have collectively fueled the argument for couples to decide to have children later.
However, I firmly believe that this trend engenders significant drawbacks. Specifically, due to mothers’ health deterioration, deciding to have children later in life is dangerous and risky for both mothers and infants. This can be evidenced by the WHO’s warning regarding how later births can increase the mortality rate of mothers and pose health risks for children. In terms of the economy, if the decision to have children later occurs more frequently, this can lead to a shrinking young labor force. Japan, for instance, has struggled to operate businesses and corporations at the expense of its dwindling young workforce. This, in turn, results in economic stagnation. The confluence of these elements has demonstrated the disadvantages of households’ decisions to have children later in life.
In conclusion, although men and women’s decisions to have children later are directly related to monetary pressures and career pursuits, I maintain that this takes a toll not only on individuals such as mothers and infants but also on the economy, resulting in economic stagnation.