RESEARCH ARTICLE Taking stock: parents’ reasons for and against having a third child Ann Evans, Claire Barbato, Eleanor Bettini, Edith Gray*, and Rebecca Kippen Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Building No. 9, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT 0200, Australia (Received 10 January 2008; final version received 5 February 2009) In developed countries with below-replacement fertility, the proportion of people who have at least three children make a substantial difference to the aggregate level of fertility. This study, based on 40 in-depth interviews with Australian parents of two children, analyses what factors influence the decision to have a third child. Using a grounded theory method of qualitative analysis, the study finds that parents who have decided to stop at two children are more able to articulate their reasons than are parents who are considering having a third child. The reasons for stopping include age and health; work and finances; and the capacity to parent another child. The weighing up of multiple factors is evidence of parents taking stock of personal and financial resources when making complex family formation decisions. The reasons for having a third child are expressed with far less elaboration and are more guarded and personal. We conclude that there is less shared or familiar language for articulating the value of family relationships. The contemporary context is one in which parents are attempting to manage risks related to having children, including the personal and financial implications of time out of the workforce. This study finds a persistent story of limited resources among parents of two children. Policies aimed at increasing fertility need to address this perception of limited resources through direct measures like affordable childcare and more generally through greater govern- ment and community support for families. Keywords: Australia; family formation; fertility decisions; population policies Dans les pays de ´veloppe ´s a ` fe ´condite ´ en dessous du seuil de remplacement, c’est la proportion de personnes qui ont au moins trois enfants qui fait la diffe ´rence sur le niveau global de la fe ´condite ´. Cette recherche, base ´e sur 40 entretiens biographi- ques de parents australiens de deux enfants, analyse quels sont les facteurs qui influencent leur de ´cision d’avoir un troisie `me enfant. En utilisant une analyse qualitative de type «grounded theory», nous montrons que les parents ayant fait le choix de s’arre ˆter a ` deux enfants sont plus a ` me ˆme d’en exprimer les raisons que ceux qui envisagent avoir un troisie `me enfant. Les raisons invoque ´es lorsqu’il y a l’arre ˆt sont l’a ˆge et la sante ´, le travail et les revenus; ainsi que la capacite ´a `e ´lever un nouvel enfant. La prise en compte de nombreux facteurs te ´moigne de la manie `re dont les parents mettent en balance ressources financie `res et personnelles lors des de ´cisions concernant la formation de la famille. Les raisons pour avoir un troisie `me enfant sont exprime ´es avec beaucoup moins de clarte ´ et sont plus re ´serve ´es et intimes. On en conclut qu’il est moins courant ou habituel de parler de la valeur des relations familiales. Le contexte actuel est tel que les parents *Corresponding author. Email: Edith.Gray@anu.edu.au ISSN 1366-8803 print/ISSN 1469-3615 # 2009 Taylor & Francis DOI: 10.1080/13668800902823599 http://www.informaworld.com Community, Work & Family, Vol. 12, No. 4, November 2009, 437454