"Until the last decade or so, the widely embraced family consisted of two children. But the times have changed. This once-preferred family is not feasible for or desired by a large swath of the population today. Even when a larger family is desired or hoped for, the trend toward one-child families is driven by a changed society and influenced by financial concerns or infertility, and women wanting (or needing) to be in the workforce."
"The longer I study only children and one-child families, the more unexpected findings turn up. After an in-depth investigation for my new book Just One: The New Science, Secrets & Joy of Parenting an Only Child, I'm convinced there's an only child revolution happening quietly in the United States and worldwide in developed countries. It wasn't always that way. Women used to face an unspoken expectation: You had kids-plural-two or three (or more), that's just what you did."
Expectations that families should include a mom, dad, and two children have shifted. Increasing numbers of parents now prefer having only one child, creating rising one-child families and singletons. Financial concerns, infertility, workforce participation, and women's desire for an identity beyond parenting drive the shift. Many parents find one child makes an attainable life and supports both parental well-being and children's interests. The norm of siblings has eroded compared with earlier generations when most peers had brothers or sisters. The trend appears across the United States and other developed countries.
Read at Psychology Today
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