TREND
TREND COULD AFFECT EVERYONE WHETHER YOU HAVE KIDS OR NOT.
>> DID YOU GET STUNG BY A BEE
HERE?
HERE?
HERE? >>
HERE? >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> LIFE DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN
THE WAY YOU PLAN.
>> AND YOU SEE I'M NOT TOO BIG.
>> Reporter: THIS IS MAGGIE.
OUR ONLY CHILD.
>> I LIKE THIS.
>> I DIDN'T PLAN ON HAVING ONE
CHILD AND FOR A WHILE I WASN'T
EVEN SURE I WOULD GET HER.
I MET MY HUSBAND LATER IN LIFE.
WE WERE BLESSED BEYOND BELIEF
WHEN THIS LITTLE ANGEL CAME
ALONG.
ALONG.
ALONG. WE
ALONG. WE WERE SO CAUGHT UP IN HER NOT
WANTING TO MISS A MOMENT.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU
LOOK AT THE CLOCK AND SAY WHOA.
I THINK IT MIGHT BE TOO LATE.
>> MOST OF THE TIME I'M OKAY
WITH IT.
WITH IT.
WITH IT. SHE'S ENOUGH FOR US.
I JUST WORRY WE'RE LEAVING HER
ALONE IN THE WORLD OR SHE'S
GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF
US BY HERSELF WHEN SHE GETS
OLDER AND MY HEART ONLY BREAKS
JUST A LITTLE BIT WHEN SHE
STARES OUT THE WINDOW
CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR THE
NEIGHBORS TO MAKE SURE THERE IS
SOMEONE ELSE TO PLAY WITH.
>> YOUR CHILD WILL BE FINE.
>> Reporter: THAT IS DR. SUSAN
NEWMAN.
NEWMAN.
NEWMAN. MOTHER OF AN ONLY CHILD AND
RESEARCHER ON THE TOPIC.
APPARENTLY I'M NOT THE ONLY
ONE.
ONE.
ONE. MY
ONE. MY SOLO KIDDO.
IN FACT IT'S KIND OF BECOMING A
THING.
THING.
THING. >>
THING. >> THERE YOU GO.
>> THERE IS A HUGE CHANGE, A
DRAMATIC CHANGE.
DRAMATIC CHANGE. >> WHAT GIVES?
>> WHAT'S HAPPENING IS WOMEN
ARE MARRYING LATER AND/OR
WAITING LONGER TO START THEIR
FAMILIES.
FAMILIES.
FAMILIES. THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE IN THEIR
30s AND 40s HAVING BABIES THAN
PEOPLE IN THEIR 20s RIGHT NOW.
>> SOME PEOPLE ARE MAKING THE
CHOICE FOR FINANCIAL OR
LOGISTICAL OR PHILOSOPHICAL
REASONS.
REASONS.
REASONS. OF COURSE THERE ARE THOSE WHO
DON'T DO IT BY CHOICE AT ALL.
FERTILITY ISSUES, MISCARRIAGES,
OR DIVORCE, ALL THOSE THINGS
MAY MAKE THE CHOICE FOR THEM.
>> DO YOU WANT THIS ONE?
>> FOR THE DAHLGREN'S, THEIR
FAMILY OF THREE IS THE PERFECT
SIZE.
SIZE.
SIZE. >>
SIZE. >> WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO
WITH ALL YOUR BERRIES?
>> PUT THEM IN THE CUP.
>> SHE'S THREE YEARS OLD,
AMAZING IN EVERY WAY.
>> WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT LAYLA
WOULD BE YOUR ONLY?
>> I THINK WE WANTED TO RAISE
HER AND HAVE THAT AS OUR FOCUS.
>> NOW THAT SHE IS THREE, THE
THOUGHT OF HAVING ANOTHER ONE
AND STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN AND
I REMEMBER HOW TOUGH IT WAS, IT
IS JUST LIKE YOU KNOW, I THINK
WE'RE GOOD.
WE'RE GOOD. >> ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE
RASPBERRY SOUP?
RASPBERRY SOUP? >> WHATEVER THE REASON IT IS
OUR NEW NORMAL AND YET THERE
STILL SEEMS TO BE A STIGMA
ATTACHED TO THE IDEA OF ONLY
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. >> DO YOU FEEL PRESSURED BY
OTHER PEOPLE?
OTHER PEOPLE? >> YES, ALL THE TIME.
THAT'S THE WORST PART, THAT.
>> FAMILIES GIVE US PRESSURE,
FRIENDS AND FAMILY, AND SO YEAH
THAT'S DEFINITELY PREVALENT.
>> AND IN OUR CULTURE IT IS
ALMOST IN OUR DNA TO THINK
THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH
ONLY CHILDREN.
ONLY CHILDREN. >> DO YOU WANT TO SHOW THEM
YOUR ROOM?
YOUR ROOM? >> THERE ARE PLENTY OF
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ONLY KIDS
THAT THEY ARE SELF-CENTERED OR
LONELY, BUT THERE IS SIMPLY NO
TRUTH TO THAT.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT ONLY
CHILDREN ARE VIRTUALLY NO
DIFFERENT THAN THEIR PEERS WHEN
IT COMES TO PERSONALITY.
AND THEY ARE ACTUALLY FOUND TO
HAVE SOME ADVANTAGES WHEN IT
COMES TO INTELLECTS AND
ACADEMICS.
ACADEMICS. HAVING A SIBLING DOESN'T ALWAYS
GUARANTEE A LIFELONG
FRIENDSHIP.
FRIENDSHIP. >> WHEN THEY HAVE A SECOND
CHILD THEY THINK THEIR CHILDREN
ARE GOING TO BE BUDDIES AND
FRIENDS FOR LIFE.
AND THEN IN REAL LIFE THAT
DOESN'T HAPPEN.
DOESN'T HAPPEN. >> BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THERE
ISN'T AN IMPACT SOMEWHERE.
>> WE ARE HAVING HUGE INCREASES
IN THE SHARE OF RETIREES.
NO INCREASES IN CHILDREN, AND
SO WE ARE REAHING A POINT
WHERE WE WILL HAVE MORE
RETIREES THAN CHILDREN FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN MINNESOTA'S
HISTORY.
HISTORY.
HISTORY. >> Reporter: MEGAN DAYTON IS A
SENIOR DEMOGRAPHER.
SENIOR DEMOGRAPHER. WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE
COUNTRY IS PLAYING OUT HERE
TOO.
TOO.
TOO. >>
TOO. >> AS THESE WORKING AGE PEOPLE
MOVE INTO RETIREMENT, THE
NUMBER OF WORKERS WHO REPLACE
THEM ACTUALLY SHRINKS.
SO IN THE LONG RUN LOW RATES OF
FERTILITY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH
DIMINISHED ECONOMIC GROWTH.
>> Reporter: A SMALLER TAX BASE
COULD MEAN LESS FUNDING FOR
SCHOOLS, LESS FUNDING FOR
MEDICAID, FEWER PEOPLE TO FILL
OPEN JOBS.
OPEN JOBS. AND THAT SHIFT ISN'T TOO FAR
OFF.
OFF.
OFF. DAYTON SUSPECTS WE WILL START
TO NOTICE IN THE MID TO LATE
2020s.
2020s.
2020s. NOT THAT YOU SHOULD BASE YOUR
FAMILY SIZE OFF THE AFFECTS OF
THE ECONOMY.
THE ECONOMY. WHEN THE SOCIAL PRESSURE GETS
TOUGH OR YOU QUESTION YOURSELF,
THERE IS ONE IMPORTANT THING TO
REMEMBER.
REMEMBER.
REMEMBER. >> WITH ONE CHILD YOU ARE A
FAMILY.
FAMILY.
FAMILY. >> I THINK WE'RE ABLE TO, YOU
KNOW, GIVE HER WHAT SHE NEEDS
AND SHE WILL HAVE AN AMAZING
LIFE AND IS ABLE TO LIVE AND
EXPERIENCE AND GET THE BEST OUT
OF BOTH OF US.
>> MAGGIE IS SURROUNDED BY SO
MUCH LOVE.
MUCH LOVE. AND WE ARE GOING TO DO
EVERYTHING THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN
TO MAKE HER THE BEST LITTLE
HUMAN WE POSSIBLY CAN.
SO I GUESS THAT DOESN'T REALLY
SOUND LIKE THERE WILL BE A
WHOLE LOT OF THAT EVER.
>> AND FIRST OF ALL SHE IS SO
ADORABLE.
ADORABLE.
ADORABLE. >> THANK YOU.
>> AND SHE IS SUCH A LUCKY
BLESSED GIRL.
BLESSED GIRL. BUT I KNOW YOU GET THE QUESTION
ALL THE TIME, SO ARE YOU HAVING
ANOTHER, WHEN ARE YOU HAVING
ANOTHER, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT
THAT?
THAT?
THAT? >>
THAT? >> FOR ME IT'S I DON'T MIND IT.
IT IS SUCH AN INNOCENT
QUESTION.
QUESTION.
QUESTION. I FIND MYSELF EVEN ASKING IT TO
OTHER PEOPLE TOO.
I WASN'T GOING TO CRY HERE, BUT
YOU KNOW WHAT FOR SOME PEOPLE
THIS IS VERY TOUGH.
THE REASONS BEHIND WHY.
THEY DON'T HAVE ANOTHER CHILD.
AND MAYBE VERY PERSONAL AND
VERY DEEP.
VERY DEEP. AND SO JUST BE CAREFUL WHEN
YOU'RE ASKING OTHER PEOPLE WHAT
YOU THINK IS A VERY INNOCENT
QUESTION, BUT IT MIGHT NOT BE.
>> AND REMEMBER TRY TO THINK OF
YOUR OWN MOTIVATION, THREE IS A
FAMILY.
FAMILY.
FAMILY. >> THREE IS A FAMILY.
WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL