Page 220 - 梁文燕紀念中學（沙田）－青苗文集

Helen Liang Memorial Secondary School (Shatin)

Changing Tides:

My View On Young Couples Having Children

6B Tracy Chan Sheung Yee

‘Wow! You are expecting your sixth
child! You are so blessed.’ ‘I’m a green-eyed
monster looking at your big family now!’ Such
phrases are not unfamiliar from the mouths of
the elderly in generations passed. However,
we rarely hear such sayings nowadays as the
birth rate is getting lower and lower. Plenty of
new couples are not willing to have children,
with them having opinions much different from
their parents’.
There are many reasons behind this change in mindset. To commence with,
the values of new couples now are different than those from the 70s or 80s. Three
decades ago, our parents were more affected by traditional Chinese values. They
thought children were manpower which was essential for the family’s survival and
success. Another thing that offspring represents is that they can sustain the family
bloodline. Having children, particularly boys, shows respect to the family ancestors
and their name. Even if parents did not specifically order couples in the past to have
more children of their own, it was not uncommon to see big families with three or
four kids. Nevertheless, in this generation, people are more focused on themselves.
More and more see having children as a nuisance to their career and a detriment
to the relationship between couples. When one
has a child, you have to also worry about family
finances and work-life balance. More importantly,
many are concerned about parenting and
whether they are equipped as a parent. Many
new couples want to be independent and free,
and do not want children to ruin their lives. This
is why family makeups are smaller than those in
the past.

218