Families are shrinking faster than we first thought. The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently revealed that childless couples are the fastest growing family type. In three years time childless couples will outnumber families with kids. Currently 47% of Australian families consist of couples living with children. This will shrink to 33% in just three years.
Families with only one child are rapidly increasing with around 15-18% of children being only children.
One parent families are on the increase as well due to increases in family breakdown, declining birth rates and an ageing population.
It means that we as a community are becoming less tolerant of children and, in some ways, less conversant with the ways of children. They are in some ways more of a mystery to adults than ever before. It also has interesting ramifications for the future of parenting. We will raise a generation of children who have grown up in small families. With opportunities to look after younger siblings decreasing hands-on child-rearing learning opportunities for kids within families will virtually diminish as well. The future of parenting is perhaps a little uncertain.
The reduction in family size also means that households are a little more intense. Adults now at least have equal numbers as kids in most families so families become more adult-like and serious places.
What do you think are the ramifications for children and the community in general of the decrease in family size?
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1 comments:
Interesting comments. When I look back at my childhood (I am one of 4), I remember my parents and those of my friends as being very unaware of the ways of children. And in fact, they still are. Oh, they love us and would do whatever they could for us, but they don't really understand children. Children weren't allowed to voice opinions, children did as they were told without often being given a reason and there was little discussion when young of what one felt or thought. Praise was not common in schools, children were withdrawn from class when they spoke, hit when they continued to do so. Parents of children in this day and age think about their parenting and the effects on their children. They look to give their children clear guidelines for behaviour yet they listen to them, to their children's ideas, fears and opinions and support their children to problem solve rather than giving them all the answers. So, I think that many parents are generally doing a great job of parenting. Are the smaller families leading to our society being less tolerant of children? In the days of large families, wasn't the saying "Children are to be seen and not heard"? Don't we now respect children's opinions? Don't we now legislate to keep children safe from physical abuse including in many countries from being smacked by parents? I think that even with smaller families we are becoming more aware of child development, more aware of children and their rights, more aware of including children in decisions. With our decreasing family sizes has come an increase in education, availability of information and a real desire to raise children that are well balanced, resilient, socially skilled and given the opportunity to achieve to their potential. There will always be positives and negatives to any family configuration. What helps families most is if the parents have their act together, love and support each other and work as a team - whatever the family's size.
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