Life after marriage is a new beginning for me. I am 35 years old, a marketing manager, and my husband, Man, is an engineer. After we got married, we didn't choose to have children, but instead we got a cute corgi, Ah Fook, who has become an integral part of our lives.
The early morning sunlight poured into the room, and Ah Fook was curled up in a corner of the sofa, sleeping soundly. I walked into the kitchen, where Man had already prepared breakfast. "Alfred still loves to sleep in the bed," I said with a smile and he responded, "He's a good sleeper. I laughed and he responded, "He knows how to enjoy life better than we do". Such a simple and quiet morning is synonymous with happiness for us.
I decided not to have children not because I don't like children, but because I think modern life is too stressful. I had witnessed my mother's exhaustion as she ran between home and work, and since then, I had hoped for a less tiring lifestyle in the future. My friends' complaints about the high cost of childcare and education have made me even more determined to make this choice.
In my life, I have Man, I have Fu, I have work and hobbies, and that's enough. For me, the definition of family doesn't necessarily need to be filled by children. We enjoy the freedom of exploring the city and leaving footprints together. It's a simple and satisfying life.
Hong Kong has one of the highest costs of living in the world, with housing, education and day-to-day expenses exerting tremendous pressure on family finances. According to the United Nations Population Fund's report The State of World Population 2023, Hong Kong's fertility rate is only **0.8 children per woman**, which is lower than that of places such as Korea, Singapore and Macau. This reflects the impact of high economic burden on fertility intentions. In addition, the cost of education, especially private schools and tutorials, is a major challenge, making it unaffordable for many parents, which in turn affects childbearing decisions.
Hong Kong's housing problem has long plagued the public, especially the younger generation. According to the 2023 data, Hong Kong has one of the highest median house price to household income ratios**18.5 times** in the world, far exceeding other major cities. Many families are confined to small flats and lack sufficient space for their children to grow up. In addition, the high cost of homeownership makes it difficult for many couples to afford mortgages, so childbearing programs are often limited by housing conditions.
Hong Kong's work culture is known for its high intensity and long working hours, with many people in the workplace working more than **10 hours** a day, or even requiring additional overtime. This makes it difficult for many parents to balance work and family, affecting children's growth and family relationships. Women worry that having children will affect their career development, limit their promotion or reduce their salary, so they are more likely to postpone having children or even give up having children. In addition, the lack of childcare services in Hong Kong makes it difficult for many families to find suitable childcare options, thus affecting childbearing decisions.
With social progress, the concepts of personal freedom, career development and the pursuit of personal happiness are increasingly emphasized. The age of first marriage for women in Hong Kong has exceeded **30**, while **less than 20%** of women aged 25-29 are married, which directly shortens the childbearing window and leads to a decline in the fertility rate. In addition, the impact of globalization has led many Hong Kong people to identify with the lifestyles of Western societies and are willing to choose not to have children or to focus on their personal career development rather than the traditional family structure.
Parenting is not just a financial burden, it also involves education, psychological stress and parental responsibility.In 2022, the number of newborns in Hong Kong will be just **32,500**, a drop of **12%** from the previous year and the third consecutive year that the drop has been more than **10%**. Many parents are worried that they will not be able to provide the best education and living environment for their children, especially in the highly competitive Hong Kong society. In addition, limited social support measures for parenting, such as insufficient maternity leave and childcare services, have caused many parents to worry about their ability to cope with the responsibility of raising their children.
The solution to the ultra-low fertility rate requires the support of diversified policies. In the short term, subsidizing childbirth and improving childcare benefits can effectively alleviate the financial pressure on families; in the long term, efforts should be made to promote gender equality, change the current gender division of labor within the family, and encourage men to take an active role in childcare and household chores. In addition, changes in corporate culture, such as the provision of parental leave and flexible working arrangements, are also essential to help women find a balance between the workplace and the family.
To solve the problem of ultra-low fertility rate, it may not be enough to rely only on the reform of family and social values, but the participation of the education system should not be neglected. The function of schools in childcare can directly reduce the pressure of dual-income families, and become an important help to increase the willingness to have children.
First of all, it solves the problem of family care. When schools provide a full range of child care services, especially extending the schedule of school activities after school, it not only helps dual-income parents to better coordinate work and child care, but also reduces the anxiety caused by inconvenient child care arrangements. For grassroots families, child care services can also significantly reduce the financial pressure of external child care services, enabling families to consider having children under a stable financial situation.
Secondly, it relieves the mental pressure of parents. Childminding service helps students to complete their homework and some of their study tasks, thus reducing the extra time and energy that parents have to put in after work. This "stress-reducing mode" allows couples to have more time for rest and communication in family life, which helps to create a more relaxed and harmonious family atmosphere, and further promotes the desire to have children.
In addition, a support network between schools and families has been established. The wider implementation of school child care services can facilitate interaction between families and schools, thus forming a stronger community support system. When parents feel that the education system is supportive of their families, especially in providing positive assistance in parenting, they tend to have more confidence in the future of raising their children.
Controlling students' Internet usage time is a crucial measure in school care services. Excessive use of the Internet may lead to reduced learning efficiency, distraction of students' attention, and even affect their health. Schools should establish clear guidelines, such as setting a daily limit on Internet usage time, and actively monitor the content of students' online activities to ensure that they focus on academic and health information. Through the implementation of these guidelines, students can complete their studies more efficiently and develop an awareness of healthy online habits.
1. Educational Advocacy and Skills Development
Schools should strengthen education on the importance of time management and self-discipline, and teach students how to rationalize their study and leisure activities through thematic programmes to help them develop self-discipline.
2. goal setting and follow-up
Students are encouraged to set clear academic and personal goals and to ensure that they are able to self-reflect and adjust through regular feedback and counseling.
3. Establishment of an incentive mechanism
Link students' progress in self-discipline to school-based incentive programs, such as recognizing good performance in time management or healthy internet use, to motivate continuous improvement.
Through these methods, while schools help students develop healthy Internet habits and enhance self-discipline, they also enable parents to feel the support of the education system for the holistic development of their students, thereby promoting family confidence in balancing the pressures of work and parenting. This will not only help solve the problem of low fertility rate, but also have a profound impact on the personal development of students.
The issue of ultra-low fertility rate is a complex and multidimensional challenge that cannot be fundamentally changed by economic or cultural reforms alone. Only by combining short-term policy support with long-term social value adjustments can we effectively address this social problem and provide a stronger foundation for future development.
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