Still most common to give birth to two children

Giving birth to two children per woman continues to be the standard in Sweden. In the future fewer people will have time to raise more than two children.

More than four out of ten women in Sweden today have two children. Statistic from SCB has shown that during the 20^th century most women gave birth to two children during their fertile period. Right now there is a “threechildtrend” but SCB anticipate that this trend is temporary.

When today’s woman gives birth to her first child she is average 29 years old. Women born in the 1940’s were five years younger when they hade their first child. That’s why fewer women will have time to raise a 3^rd or a 4^th child. Historically, the childbearing in Sweden has varied strongly. Women born in the 18^th and in the beginning of the 19^th century gave averagely birth to four or five children. Since that the childbearing reduced quickly and from the 20^th century until now having two children is the most common.

Today approximately 13% of the women in Sweden die childless, compared to earlier centuries it’s a low allotment. Quite as many women give birth to one child. The allotment that gives birth to three children is 20%.   

Föda två barn fortsatt vanligast

Två barn per kvinna fortsätter att vara normen för barnafödande i Sverige. Allt färre kommer att hinna med att föda fler barn i framtiden.

Fler än fyra av tio nu levande svenska kvinnor har fått två barn. Under hela 1900-talet har just två barn varit det vanligaste antalet som kvinnor har fött under sin fertila period, visar statistik från SCB.

Just nu råder en "trebarnstrend" men den kommer troligen att vara tillfällig, spår SCB.

Dagens förstagångsmamma är i genomsnitt 29 år. Kvinnor födda på 1940-talet var i snitt fem år yngre när de fick sitt första barn. Därför kommer färre i fortsättningen att hinna med ett tredje eller fjärde barn, är tolkningen.

Historiskt sett har barnafödandet i Sverige varierat kraftigt. Kvinnor födda på 1700-talet och under första hälften av 1800-talet fick i genomsnitt mellan fyra och fem barn. Sedan minskade barnafödandet snabbt och från 1900-talet framåt är det två barn som gäller.

Omkring 13 procent av kvinnorna slutar i dag barnlösa, historiskt sett är det en låg andel. Ungefär lika många kvinnor föder ett barn. Andelen som får tre barn är 20 procent.

Geography: European countries

1. Choose one European country

2. Read a book or search on internet about the country you have chosen.

3. Write facts about:

• Capital
• The three largest cities
• Regions in the country
• Lakes, rivers, seas
• Inhabitants
• Islands

4. Write about something you think is interesting about the country. It could for instance be history, a person, an animal or the culture.

5. Write a text about why you would like to visit the country or why you don’t want to visit the country. If you have been in the country you could write about that.

6. Take the map of Europe that I gave you and paint the country you chosen in the flag colors.

7. Take your map and your three texts and put them on an A3-paper. Write the country’s name on top of the paper.  

You will do an oral presentation of your work when you are done.

A short story for 6-9 year olds

A snowflake journey

Once upon a time it was a little snowflake who called himself Mr Frost. Mr Frost lived in a cloud far far up in the sky, together with his friends. One day it blew up a storm and the cloud was blowing with a tremendous speed over the city. Suddenly it stopped blowing and Mr Frost had a very strange feeling in his stomach. It felt like he was flying, and that was exactly what he was doing.  

“What’s happening?”, Mr Frost shouted.
“I think our cloud exploded in the storm”, Ms Cold answered.
“Oh no! Does that mean we’re falling from the sky and will land on the earth soon?”, asked Mr Frost sadly.
“Yes, that’s what will happen, but why do you seem so sad?” Ms Cold asked.
“Because I will not be able to play with you and everyone else then”, said Mr Frost.

When Mr Frost hade flown for a while he started to enjoy the feeling he had in his stomach. He opened his eyes and saw a city that was shining. It was dark outside and every house had lamps that spread a wonderful shimmer over the city. Mr Frost stopped to think about what would happen when he landed and enjoyed the last bit down from the sky.

When he at last landed in front of a red little house he started to think of his friends again. Mr Frost wondered where they had landed. But he stopped thinking about them quite soon because the flight had made him very tired. He closed his eyes and fell asleep at once.

In the little red house there lived a boy and a girl. One morning when they woke up they saw that the garden was full of snow. They were thrilled and they couldn’t wait to come out and play in the snow. After they had eaten breakfast, they went outside and played. The boy and the girl did everything from snow angels to a snowman.

When Mr Frost woke up after his sleep he remembered what happened yesterday and felt quite sad again. But when I opened his eyes he looked right in to the red little houses window and he saw something strange. The window was like a mirror and  Mr Frost saw a snowman made of all of his friends. Mr Frost had now reunited with all his friends and he was happier than ever.