In those days, it was a natural step for male and female citizens to get married and give birth to children in their twenties or earlier thirties. These days, however, it has become a new trend for couples to postpone their plans for child-bearing. I believe the drawbacks of this phenomenon outweigh its benefits and will put forward explanations behind this trend.
Multiple reasons can be given to explain why an increasing number of couples decide to have children later after marriage. For one thing, intense competition for jobs forces young adults to prioritise education and career development. More specifically, when those newly-graduated complete their bachelor’s degrees, they tend to pursue further studies as a way to expand their repertoire of abilities and skills, which enables them to separate themselves from others in the labour market. Another factor is the rising cost of living. Compared with their elder generations, young couples are under greater financial pressure. For instance, they are compelled to pay for the soaring housing prices, food and healthcare. As a result, couples delay plans for having children until they become financially sustainable to ensure their children’s quality of life.
From my perspective, this trend has more adverse effects. One major issue is the age disparity between young children and their older parents. If the age gap between parents and their offsprings are significantly huge, different lifestyles and mindsets may hinder effective parent-children communication. Consequently, it poses a challenge for mutual understanding between children and their parents and results in family conflicts. Additionally, the delayed childbirth may pose health risks to female citizens aged over 35. Compared with those who have children earlier, older mothers are prone to severe health problems during pregnancy. For example, they are at a higher risk of experiencing premature birth and other medical complications like high blood pressure as well as heart attack, which take a toll on both mothers and and their children.
In conclusion, there are multiple factors attribute to the delaying of childbirth. From my point of view, the disadvantages outweigh its advantages.