The way the typical family unit looks has steadily changed in recent decades and Aussie parents are calling for an end to the stigma behind so-called "triangle families", which is becoming the new normal for millions all around the world. In Australia, the number of single child families has doubled in the past 40 years. Now, a growing number of parents are out to prove that only child syndrome is a myth.
In 1981, 7.6 per cent of women in Australia aged 40 to 44 only ever had one child. In 2021, that number more than doubled to 16.
3 per cent. In the EU, triangle families are the most common dynamic, making up 49 per cent of all households with children. Many parents in Australia these days live in very different circumstances than they would have decades ago, experts say, and therefore having multiple children simply doesn't suit their lifestyles and .
Many Australians have chosen to further their careers and travel over having multiple kids, and it's trend experts believe is set to continue, . Aussie mum-of-one Heather Hunt said it's "really important" people understand how "amazing" a family of just three can be. "A family with just one child — we've chosen it," Hunt told .
"But if you can't [have multiple children] please be rest assured you'll have an amazing family experience and your child won't be disadvantaged. "I was an only child myself and I had a really great experience and I don't think I missed out from not having siblings. For her and partner Brendan, having .