Fertility
- Opinion
- National
I am a mum of eight. This is why I chose to have a big family
The falling birth rate suggests many are asking why have any children at all, and yet Helen Perrottet chose to have eight. While the sacrifices are real, she says there are rewards that cannot easily be measured.
- Helen Perrottet
Latest
- Series
- Pregnancy
Australia’s baby bust
The fertility rate in Australia is at a record low. We explore why we’re having fewer babies – and what that means for the country’s future.
Way past childbearing? There are ways Baby Boomers (and Gen X) can help their kids have kids
I’ve been told my idea of addressing Australia’s fertility decline – through the physical and emotional labour of grandparents – is “quite mad”.
- Jenna Price
Seven things to know about Australia’s baby bust – and what it means for you
The smartphone is copping some of the blame for the declining global fertility rate. Middle children are out of style. And there is a big difference between childfree and childless.
- Matt Wade and Bronte Gossling
- Watch
- Parenting
Selfish, spoiled, lonely … these only children have heard it all. But are the stereotypes true?
As Australia’s fertility rate falls, single-child families are on the rise. Most only children see no issue with that – but not all.
- Bronte Gossling and Pablo Barnes
- Opinion
- Parenting
Why aren’t women having children? Ask men
When a man I barely know recently asked me if I was worried that my husband might one day leave me for a younger woman because we aren’t having children, I felt like I had been sucker-punched.
- Katy Hall
Cash, WFH, childcare overhaul? If we want Australians to have more babies, everything needs to change
Australians who want to have a child, or want more children, are asking for solutions. Can we, as a nation, help them?
- Shane Wright and Bronte Gossling
Raising a child today costs as much as a small mortgage – and that’s before you put education on the tab
This is how much kids cost. Even without accounting for private school fees, piano lessons and braces, parents are feeling it.
- Shane Wright
The middle child is a dying breed – and this is why society will be worse off without us
I share this connection with Princess Diana and Winston Churchill. And it’s in danger of being lost.
- Kate Halfpenny
Let’s talk about Australia’s baby bust
Australia’s record low birth rate has significant implications for the nation. If we want young people to have more children, we need to consider how to help them out.
- Jordan Baker