R0bert, not a bad summary, but I think some form of weighting needs to be give to the factors you've mentioned. For example, I don't think the possibility of extramarital sex plays a big part in the decision to have children or not. If it was going to play a role at all, it may well lead to more children if the reason for men choosing not to have them is as shallowly-based as Houellebecq would have us believe.

I disagree completely about social pressures to have childen decreasing. We had the treasurer of the country telling us only a few short years ago that we need to have "one for the country" and the very influential churches cetainly don't hold back in urging their congregations to breed.

Contraception for women is certainly a factor, since she can decide to put childbearing off. That makes it all the more urgent for her to find a willing partner when she decides she wants to have a child. The thing is, why is she delaying?

Your next point makes that clear, which is the need for 2 incomes to support a middle-class consumerist family lifestyle in which debt is the principle funding source for day-to-day spending.

And I still say those pale into insignificance beside the elephant in the room, which is the CSA and the Family Law.

We spend enormous sums on compensating women for having children but we're seeing fewer people having them anyway. Isn't it about time somebody looked seriously at getting rid of the CSA/Family Law nexus and creating a fairer system? The present one just isn't working.

Remember, just $5 per week per taxpayer would replace every cent that the CSA handles and it would free up large numbers of men who are now either long-term unemployed or on DSP as a direct result of family breakdown making it unviable for them to work.

40% of all CSA-collect "payers" are on the dole...

Antiseptic, agreed that they all have differing weights.
I doubt that sneering Pete's calls to have one for him stirred much enthusiasm but the taxpayer funded handouts may have influenced some.

I do think that overall the social pressures on couples to have children are way less than they were on preceding generations.

I was old enough by the time that I'd been through a divorce that I had other reasons for not wanting to start any more kids but CSA and it's buddies were on my mind as well. I'm not convinced that they are well understood by most who have not had previous dealings with them. Everyone thinks it won't happen to them.

Definitely a contributor though. I'd like to see it gone based on the sheer damage it does by keeping couples tied together financially and perpetuating conflict.

R0bert

There are nominally no barriers to sperm bank donation *except* the spectre of potential future involvement of the Family Court and CSA.

Sperm Bank donations have almost literally "dried up".

I would suggest that concern for the involvement of these flawed organisations has very high penetration for the sub-population involved, and is indicative of the influence on planned fathering decisions in the wider community.

Rusty

"See, there's the problem. By reacting to what you "expect" rather than what is said, the conversation is driven in the "expected" way rather than in a new one."

Yes the response was Pavlovian I admit.

Actually I have noticed you have been more restrained of late Anti, so if there is truly a 'new way' I welcome it in these gender issues.

It it is so, perhaps the lack of commitment to have babies will have a positive effect on the global overpopulation problem.

Dear Pelican,

I've been reading the following website that
I found quite interesting. You may too:

http://newmatilda.com/2011/10/18/older-mothers-selfish

Lexi,

It's an interesting conundrum.
From my point of view, I fell pregnant at 41 (as I mentioned earlier) - but it was an incredible surprise. I couldn't imagine "planning" a child at around that age. Biologically that is when women are usually at the end of their fertile years.
My pregnancy went very smoothly, but my son was small (5 lb 1oz) He actually wore a 00000 baby suit : ). He's a strapping 10 year old now and quite tall for his age.

The other thing I noticed is that when he was attending kindergarten and preschool, most of the mum's were around their early thirties....which was good because I didn't feel "too" ancient. In fact, the whole early childhood thing was much more relaxing this time round ( and I got to watch The Wiggles : )