Over the past decade ''there has been a great change in the perception of what a family is'' that includes single parents and couples living together, she says. Each group has its stereotypes. And I don't think it matters. Charles White, who runs the Only Child site with his wife, says he senses that the trend is somewhat urban. People living in urban settings find the cost of living is high and the opportunities for space are not really there.
Experts say there are several reasons for the ballooning numbers of only children.
Women who want to have it all can have more of it by having only one child. Women who marry when they are older tend to have fewer children. More two-career couples. More women are postponing having children in favor of establishing a career track. A divorce decreases a woman's chances of having another child.