Where are the Children?

Does it really matter how many children I have?
In this day and age the family is a term that is becoming more and more vague and defined by so many different things. The definition of a traditional family is generally defined as two parents and some children. But what happens when the children are becoming an after thought? I, myself, have always wanted a big family and hope to have one someday but people now are choosing to delay having children as they opt for other endeavors  such as a career, instead. When putting something like a career first, it can limit the number of children a woman can will want to have, leaving most them to have maybe one child, if any at all. Now most would think, "Whether I choose to have kids or not is my choice" and "The number of children I want to have is not going to affect anyone but my family and me." However it is amazing how low the birth rate has dropped since the 1950's. 
The fact that the world is overpopulating and we are going to run out of resources is true, however it's leading people to believe that having less children is the solution and that is simply not true. With the advancements in technology today the life expectancy of a person is longer than it was 50 years ago. This means that the population is growing because people are living longer than they used to. That being said, as the elderly generation begins to pass away, there won't be many children to replace them within a population, ultimately leading a decrease in population. A decrease in population can eventually lead to many problems including issues in the work force as well as an economic crisis.
So now I want you to ask yourself, does it really matter how many children I have? Of course it does!
Now I know what you're thinking, why is this girl who has never had children telling me that I must have a lot of them and I am by no means telling you how many you should have. Instead I encourage you to truly consider how many children would be right for your family. Certainly careers are important and supporting your family is important but it shouldn't replace importance of having a family.
As you ponder the question above I want to talk about what I learned in class. In class, we discussed the question if families decide to have one child who would it affect the most. My conclusion was that it affects the parents the most. Children are so innocent and see the world in a way that we as adults cannot. They give us perspective and without them we'd miss out on so many learning opportunities. Whether you choose to have one or ten is up to you and your spouse. Just remember that whatever you choose affects more people than you think.