7 - Views about Having More Children

Summary

In Chapter 7, we turn to consider the views of the participants in terms of whether or not they would have more children. Framing the chapter is research from the field of demography, which suggests that rather than parents making predetermined decisions about an ideal family size, actual family size is typically decided ad hoc, based on experiences with a first child. This was certainly the case for the participants. One couple had previously thought they would have just one child, and remained committed to one. Some had thought they would have more than one and after the birth of a child felt that one was enough, and conversely some thought they would only have one and after the birth of a child felt that they might have more. Some of the couples had yet to decide, and one had already had a second child and another was pregnant with their second child. These diverse decisions highlight how experiences of new parenthood differentially shape decisions about ideal family size.