In many countries, people decide to have a child at a later age. Why is this? Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

In modern society, there has been a major concern that many couples have delayed parenthood. Some explanations for this social trend will be put forward before an analysis of its impacts on society and family life is given. A few reasons can be given to justify the trend of giving birth at later stages of life. First, the labour market is increasingly competitive, and it is a norm that young parents defer having children to devote the whole time in the first years of their employment to lay a sound foundation for their future career. Second, it is believed that children are raised better by older parents. This seems valid since older fathers and mothers are generally wealthier, more experienced, and more willing to take the responsibility of bringing up a child. The trend exerts both advantageous and disadvantageous influence on society and families. On the one hand, children born to more prosperous and experienced parents can receive a better and more comprehensive education, and thus contribute more to society when they grow up. In each household, the parents may also reap the benefits of this trend, as their first working years are not interrupted by pregnancy and childcare. On the other hand, when an aged couple decides to give birth, there are serious health risks for the woman in the prenatal and postnatal period. If any complicated maternal health problem arises, the life whole family would be turned upside down. To conclude, the tendency to have children at later ages is caused by a number of factors, such as the competitiveness of the job market for young adults, and both the positive and negative impacts of it can be seen in families and society.