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Essay about having children late - Writing Task 2 - Please assess

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 2:33 pm
by ieltslearner
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?


There is a growing trend where couples are deciding to have children at a later stage in their married life compared to the traditional concept of having children instantaneously after getting married. This essay intends to look at some reasons behind this strand of thought, including the impacts it has on both family and society.

There could be a few reasons why couples are delaying having offspring in recent times. Firstly, the cost of having children is one of the factors that couples could be considering, especially if they hail from urban areas. Hospitalization funds, the cost of schooling and basic necessities such as food and clothing tend to be relatively expensive in the city. Secondly, some newlyweds would want to spend some time on their own before having a child, usually a couple of years or more since taking care of an infant requires time and physical effort.

However, delay in having children has certain impacts on the family structure as well as community life. To begin with, there is an apparent age gap between parents and offspring. As children progress into their teenage years, their parents would have started aging which creates a communication barrier between parent and child. Furthermore, biological studies have revealed that women have a high chance of losing their fertility at the age of 40 or beyond, which might restrict the family unit to one or two children only, whereas in normal circumstances they would have had a chance to have more. This affects society in general as well. For instance, younger and more talented individuals might face a hindrance in acquiring jobs due to aging workers being employed for longer periods.

In conclusion, there is a growing trend where parents procrastinate about having children at the ideal time, which tends to have adverse effects on both the family unit and communities in general.

Re: Essay about having children late - Writing Task 2 - Please assess

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 9:48 am
by David.IELTS.Examiner
Hello!

The first main paragraph is pretty good. Money is always a good thing to consider in a T2 essay!

The second main paragraph, however, is not as convincing. There has always been an age gap, so I'm not sure about the validity of this point. In fact, the fertility argument actually counters it (= if people are unlikely to have kids after 40, then the age gap is less of a problem!). The point about getting a job is interesting, but if people are having 3,4,5 kids then surely the situation is going to be worse.

The conclusion is not proven at all. In fact, most of your arguments go against it!

All the best,
David

Re: Essay about having children late - Writing Task 2 - Please assess

Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 9:21 pm
by Flick
ieltslearner wrote: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?


There is a growing trend where couples are deciding to have children at a later stage in their married life compared to the traditional concept of having children immediately after getting married. This essay intends to look at some reasons behind this trend, including the impacts it has on both family and society.

There are several reasons why couples are delaying having offspring in recent times. Firstly, the cost of having children is one of the factors that couples could be considering, especially if they hail from urban areas. Hospital fees, the cost of schooling and basic necessities such as food and clothing tend to be relatively expensive in the city. Secondly, some newlyweds want to spend some time on their own before having a child, usually a couple of years or more since taking care of an infant requires time and physical effort.

However, delay in having children has certain impacts on the family structure as well as community life. To begin with, there is a significant age gap between parents and offspring. As children progress into their teenage years, their parents have started aging which creates a communication barrier between parent and child. Furthermore, biological studies have revealed that women have a decreased level of fertility after the age of 40, which might restrict the family unit to one or two children only, whereas in normal circumstances they would have had a chance to have more. This affects society in general as well. For instance, younger and more talented individuals might face difficulties in acquiring jobs due to aging workers being employed for longer periods.

In conclusion, there is a growing trend where parents procrastinate about having children at the ideal time, which tends to have adverse effects on both the family unit and communities in general.