Articles across multiple outlets discuss ideas for addressing Australia’s fertility decline by expanding the role of grandparents and older family members. The pieces cite the argument that Baby Boomers and Gen X could help their adult children have children by providing practical and emotional support. That support is described as potentially including child care and broader family assistance, aimed at reducing barriers faced by parents who want to have more children.
The articles also note that the proposal is met with scepticism. The writing includes the view that using grandparents’ “physical and emotional labour” as a solution is seen by some as unconventional or “quite mad.” Despite that criticism, the articles frame the discussion as a response to demographic changes, presenting the idea as one possible lever among others to influence family planning decisions.
Overall, the sources focus on the concept of intergenerational help rather than specific policy measures, and they highlight the tension between potential benefits for families and concerns about placing additional responsibilities on older people.
