晚育問題

　　Task：In some countries around the world men and women are having children late in life. What are the reasons for this development? What are the effects on society and family life?

　　Sample answer：

　　In the modern world, young adults prefer to raise children late in their life. This essay will mainly analyze the potential reasons and how it will affect society and family life as well.

　　There are three main factors contributing to the postponed parenthood.

　　In general, people who bear great pressure from their work are less likely to prepare childbirth early, considering that they may have little time to attend their children. This problem can also be attributed to the high cost of modern life. The young people without adequate savings will probably be afraid of high living cost and expensive tuition. Another reason for this is the difficulty in balancing work and life. More young people emphasize the promotion in career, and thus spare little time for a stable marriage life which is viewed as a significant element for rearing children.

　　It cannot be denied that late childbirth is able to provide more time for young couples to be ready for the new members in their families. They need to learn how to raise children before they decide to have children. In addition, if they delay childbirth, they can provide more economic support for children’s rearing and education.

　　However, the low birth rate will cause an increase in aging population. It is widely known that most medical needs and costs occur in the last years of life. Therefore, young people have to face the need to care for the elderly family members. From the perspective of the society, due to a shift in the age structure of the workforce, an aging society with a low birthrate is likely to encounter labour shortage.

　　To summarize, the delay in having children is mainly attributed to the stress and strains men and women bear in both their life and work. Although this may help them better prepare for their children’s development, the negative effects on both society and family life cannot be ignored.