Malta currently has the lowest fertility rate in Europe, at just 1.08 children per woman. A recent qualitative study, ‘Generational Jugglers: A Dual Perspective on Child-Rearing as Navigated by Working Couples and Supportive Grandparents (Mifsud, 2024)’, provides deeper insights into modern family realities.
Through in-depth focus group interviews, parents shared their struggles in balancing work and parenting responsibilities, often feeling trapped in a relentless cycle of guilt, frustration and exhaustion, leaving little time for self-care.
Fathers also voiced dissatisfaction, lamenting the precious moments missed with their children. Such challenges are frequently witnessed in the family therapy field.
Contrary to misconceptions, parents in the study expressed a strong desire to personally care for their children. However, financial obligations force them back to work, leaving no viable alternative but to seek external childcare – a decision fraught with emotional and practical compromises.
In line with equality commissioner Renee Laiviera’s views, parents expressed a desire for more children. Some even hoped for a larger family but settled for one or two due to difficulties in balancing work and family life.
As one participant said: “the system is not helping at all. They want us to work, and be wonder women and men. Then they question the declining birth rate.
“Who will have more than one or two children? I always wanted five. That’s what I’m sorry about”. This highlights the unfortunate reality that, by failing to support parents, we weaken society and contribute to the fertility decline.
This experience of exhaustion and stress extends beyond parents to grandparents, who, once expected to enjoy retirement, are stepping in to fill the childcare gap, mirroring the parents’ struggles.
This raises concerns about their well-being and the long-term effects on parent-child bonds.
The study highlights the generational ripple impact of inadequate family policies, emphasising the urgent need for systemic change.
Parents and grandparents voiced economic concerns, including skyrocketing property prices, rising living costs, and stagnant wages, which push many families into financial distress, leading to sub-optimal parenting and mental health struggles. Increasingly, parents seek therapy to navigate parenthood – once taken for granted but now a growing challenge. While flexible work arrangements and outsourcing help some families, many lack the financial means to access these resources. Though free childcare and after-school programmes exist, they do not fully address broader parental challenges.
Parents argued that the system prioritises economic productivity over family well-being, forcing them to enrol their children as early as three months old – disrupting their plans to raise them at home during crucial early years. As one frustrated parent put it: “I would close childcare. Why does the government pay for childcare so I can go to work?” This raises the question: is free childcare truly free, or does it impose hidden costs?
While financial support and grandparental leave for working grandparents may offer some relief, they do not address the core challenges parents face in balancing work and family life- Charlene Veneziani
Education Minister Clifton Grima recently opposed extending school hours, advocating for more family time instead. Many parents echoed this sentiment on social media, supporting flexible work schedules over longer school days. Participants expressed concerns about children’s long school hours, questioning their impact on well-being. This raises an important question: what if we asked children how they feel about being away from their parents for so long? What might they say?
A call for family-friendly reforms
Parents and grandparents called for reforms that prioritise family well-being over labour force participation. While financial support and grandparental leave for working grandparents may offer some relief, they do not address the core challenges parents face in balancing work and family life. Recommendations include:
• Extending maternity and paternity leave to a minimum of one year to ensure adequate childcare.
• Ensuring fair wages for at least one parent, allowing a better balance between work and childcare, including leave to care for sick children.
• Introducing flexible work options (e.g., remote and hybrid models) across public and private sectors.
• Re-evaluating financial policies, including mortgage and rent subsidies, to reduce economic burdens and reliance on dual incomes.
• Recognising grandparents’ caregiving roles and supporting their well-being, especially as more engage in paid employment with less time for childcare.
Expanding free childcare alone is not the solution. Some parents believe it enables employers to ignore flexible work options. Instead, they suggest reallocating childcare funds to provide a basic salary for parents who choose to stay at home, allowing them to raise their children without external pressures.
Employers should also offer financial support and flexible policies that respect family choices. Without systemic changes, parents feel overwhelmed, describing their lives as “chaotic”, leading to marital strain, mental health issues, and declining birth rates.
Looking forward: A supportive community
This study underscores the urgent need for policies that genuinely support parents. A one-size-fits-all approach is failing.
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. Addressing Malta’s fertility crisis requires a collective effort to create a nurturing environment where families can thrive.
Charlene VenezianiCharlene Veneziani is a family therapist and psychology lecturer.
Charlene.veneziani@gmail.com