This week on Insight is Only Children, exploring why ‘one and done’ parenting is on the rise and if the pros outweigh the cons?
Single-child families are on the rise, so why is there still stigma about being an ‘only child’?
The number of single-child families has almost doubled over the past 40 years. Couples facing mounting financial pressures, infertility and not having enough social support contribute to the growing trend — yet stereotypes about only children being spoilt and selfish remain.
The number of single-child families in Australia has doubled in the past forty years.
Of the 7.5 million families, more than a million are so-called ‘triangle families’.
Cost of living is one driver, as is the fact that couples are having children later, and men and women are increasingly struggling with fertility issues.
According to parenting expert Dr Rosina McAlpine, Australian couples are also feeling more empowered to choose the lifestyle, career, and family size they want.
“There’s also a group of people that are very concerned about the environment and about uncertainty, about the future, and don’t want to bring more children into the world,” McAlpine said.
8:30pm Tuesday on SBS.
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