Many men and women are making the decision to have children later in life. Why is this trend occurring? What are the impacts of this development on both family and society?

In the past, it was a natural step that a couple would get married fairly young, and

then

start a family.

However

,

this

is no longer the case and the delaying of childbirth is becoming very common.

This

essay will consider the reasons for

this

trend and the possible effects on families and

society

. The driving force behind

this

trend is changing employment patterns. As more women have pursued an education and entered the workforce, they tend to marry later and have children later in their life.

This

is unavoidable in many cases because women cannot combine family and

work

well due to costly childcare. Another factor is all the other opportunities available to everyone.

For example

, many men and women choose to travel around the world or take the chance to

work

in another country,

thus

delaying settling down. There are a number of possible impacts on families and

society

.

Firstly

, with regards to families, it can be more difficult for older women to get pregnant and they may experience more health problems,

such

as a miscarriage, high blood pressure or diabetes, during pregnancy.

Also

, the parents may find the whole experience of bringing up children more tiring if they are older. In one respect it may be positive for

society

because if people are choosing to

work

for longer, a country will have a productive workforce. On the negative side though, in the long-term falling fertility rates will mean an aging population with a lack of young people to

work

and take care of the elderly. In conclusion, there are several reasons that people are having children later in life, and

this

can have a number of impacts, both positive and negative. Given the fact that

society

continues to change,

this

trend is likely to continue well into the future.