"Falling birthrates have helped increase interest in the real experiences of one-child families and to break down prejudices"
Single-child households are fast becoming the nuclear family for the 21st century.
In 2006, 13 per cent of Australian women aged 40-44 had just one child, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and that figure is growing.
While most women aged 28 to 34 would prefer to have more than one child, they are increasingly likely to be disappointed.
And 16 per cent will never have children.
"Only 6 per cent of women surveyed said they wanted just one child," said an Institute of Family Studies researcher, Lexia Qu, a mother of one who specialises in family compositions.
"Nearly half the men and women surveyed said they would prefer to have two but the one-child family is increasing," Ms Qu said.
The reasons many will not achieve their preferred family model are varied.
"Most commonly it is that you put off having children until you are older, so the opportunities to have more decrease," she said.
"It could be that they didn't find a partner or [had a] relationship breakdown. It takes time to repartner and it is more difficult if you have children and then your new partner might already have children.
"It could also relate to the parenting experience. Some say it is very hard."
The one-child household is now among the fastest growing Australian family models. One in three households surveyed in the 2006 census with one dependent child were single-parent homes.
Ann Richardson, a psychotherapist and counsellor, believes single children often look for surrogate siblings in their friends.
Ms Richardson, herself an only child, started the London-based BeingAnOnly website after sitting for 10 minutes with a group of people who had grown up without siblings.
"You never grow out of being an only child," she said.
"You're still an only child when you're 70 and it is often later in life, when people are caring for an elderly parent or parents, or when they find themselves orphaned finally, that they reflect on their only childness. Being alone again comes full circle."
Falling birthrates have helped increase interest in the real experiences of one-child families and to break down prejudices, she said.
"There are definite advantages to being one child and there are disadvantages too," Ms Richardson said.
" The old stereotype of spoilt and selfish does no one justice."
Discuss family structures in the 'parents room' on Essential Baby.
