Do our mothers influence when we have kids?

There’s no doubt our parents can play a huge role in shaping the adults we become. But a recent study based on BCS70 has revealed how our mum’s experience of parenthood may, to some extent, influence our own, including if and when we start our own family.

What we asked you

In our surveys, you’ve shared information about the number of children you have, and how old you were when you had your first. When you were born, your mums told us if you were their first child, and if you weren’t, then how many older brothers and sisters you had. As you were growing up, we learned how many siblings you eventually had.

A team of researchers from the University of St Andrews analysed this information along with other information collected about your lives over the years, including about your family’s circumstances, your education and your relationships.

What the research found

The research team found that people of your generation were more likely to have children if your mother had become a parent before she was 25. This was especially true for women. Coming from a larger family, with two or more siblings, also increased the likelihood of having your own children, but only for women.

For both men and women, the number of brothers and sisters you had was important for the timing of parenthood; those with three or more siblings were likely to start their own family at a younger age, before 25.

Exploring the size of your families, the researchers found that men and women from East England and the Midlands were more likely to have a third child. Having a third child was also more common among men who were in their second marriage or live-in relationship.

Why this research matters

This research highlights how the decisions we make about having children may be influenced by our own parents’ experiences and the families we grew up in. Understanding these patterns that connect one generation to the next could be important for creating policies that support families and reach those most in need.

Read the full research report

Intergenerational transmission of fertility in Great Britain: A parity-specific investigation using the 1970 British Cohort Study by Katherine Keenan, Júlia Mikolai, Rebecca King & Hill Kulu was published in Population Studies in November 2024