Motherhood no longer fitting in the schedule Essay Example for Free

Motherhood no longer fitting in the schedule Essay The younger generation of women are more highly educated than ever before and will continue to postpone child bearing until they are certain they have established a stable career and lifestyle. Another cause of this delay is the difficulty of balancing home life with work life. For too many Australians the choice to have children weighs heavily. When many people check their savings account, it is quite rational for them to delay or decide against having children. Unfortunately, increasing numbers of women put off having children and wait for a better time that simply never comes. The average age at which Australian women have their first child is now 29. This is because women come closest to equality with men when they do not have family responsibilities. As more and more women postpone having children, pursue education and improve their employment prospects, those who have their children young, and who have a lower socioeconomic background, tend to fall behind both socially and economically. So many women find themselves stuck. Having a career makes it harder to have children, but having children makes it increasingly necessary to have a career for support. Therefore it is not always women deciding not to have children, but it seems as though the decision has already been made. If women are provided with opportunities equivalent to men but these opportunities are severely limited by having children then women almost have no choice but to restrict the number of children they have. However this is not always the case. There are a small percentage of women who choose not to ever have children. These women want the benefits of stability in community life and financial independence, but at the same time are unwilling to pay the cost of giving up any degree of personal freedom. It may seem selfish, but who wouldnt? A modern womans desire for a successful career is simply a case of choosing luxury apartments and designer shoes over changing nappies. For many women, children do not quite fit in the image of the cosmopolitan lifestyle they wish to lead. They would prefer freedom, fun, independence, time and money rather than responsibility, restrictions, stress, worry, financial struggles and chaos. Ok, maybe in reality it isnt that black and white. Love is the only main advantage of having children but who can guarantee that that will always be the case? Is an uncertain love really worth it? For me, I dont know if Ill ever feel the joy of holding my own baby in my arms. Im sure most women had a similar opinion at one stage. For many women who decide not to ever have children, motherhood is viewed as a burden rather than an experience of personal fulfillment. Another significant factor of the reduction of the birth rate is the breakdown of long term relationships. Most women still want children in marriage, but with divorce rates so high and children being put off until later in life, relationships often end before the kids come along. No matter how happily married, statistically speaking, a woman still faces a greater than 40% chance of ending up a single parent. Many women who would like to have children may possibly not have yet found a suitable partner, further delaying childbirth. Now Australia must face the issue of increasing the birth rate once again. Demographers now realise that the accelerating trend in fertility decline is not a temporary phase but an indication of a long-term change. Most Australian women do want children but find it too difficult to balance family life and work. Conservatives will ask women to give up work to satisfy their notion of what is an ideal life. In my opinion, Australias birth rate is not about telling women to go back in to the kitchen. Promoting a better balance between work and family life, with some flexibility for all employees can be achieved without compromising productivity. The population debate in Australia must start by focusing on the family. A good family policy, particularly a better balance between the demands of work and child bearing responsibilities, will ultimately provide the start of a better future.