Letter from Anita Subramaniam
"Singapore Birth's rate is dropping drastically" - this seems to be the mantra for in recent years. So what really is the problem?
I am a typical Career Mum in her early 30s with three school-going kids (10, 8 and 6 years old respectively) and a good husband. I had debated several times over giving up my job to be a full-time mum. But with Singapore's high and accelerating cost of living, how can I even seriously consider it?
A typical day starts at 5.30am. Rushing through the family's daily schedule with my Indonesian helper, I am out of the house at 7am, planting kisses on the sleeping children before leaving home with a heavy heart - knowing the next time I would see them would be close to their bed time.
(I also blow a kiss to my husband who is rushing out of the house at the same time, and if I'm lucky I will get to see him again before my bed-time - which explains why we are not able to produce any more children, even though we both love kids).
While at work, we dedicate all our waking hours to pleasing our bosses and clients. I should highlight that I am very blessed that my company is family-oriented and has given me leave as and when needed to care for my children. (I am also the only employee in the office with children.) I know of many mums who are not that lucky.
At 7-ish, after pushing my way through the sardine can called the MRT, I am dying and dragging myself home close to 9pm. My kids are so tired after school, they just want to hit the bed. If I am lucky and they are still active and playing, I get to speak to them and look through their schoolwork, before the good-night kisses. Then I have to shower and head straight to bed.
Weekends are nice, ferrying the kids to and from their extra curricular activities (we're thankful for our off-peak car - it's a good scheme the Land Transport Authority has in place).
Please, someone, tell me with this kind of robotic life that we are accustomed to, how can one even think of reproducing? I mean, the prime means of reproducing itself needs time and energy to happen. When people are dying of exhaustion, where do we find the strength to indulge in small talk or date nights with our spouses?
Before all working parents - especially mums - end up in the grave early due to this hectic lifestyle (and then even the population of elderly Singaporeans will decline too), I hope the ministries pertaining to manpower and family will look into this soon. Shorten our work days and give us more family time. I believe that other countries have opted to have several good measures to allow family bonding - we should do the same too.
Our working hours are too long. We are dying.
"Singapore Birth's rate is dropping drastically" - this seems to be the mantra for in recent years. So what really is the problem?
I am a typical Career Mum in her early 30s with three school-going kids (10, 8 and 6 years old respectively) and a good husband. I had debated several times over giving up my job to be a full-time mum. But with Singapore's high and accelerating cost of living, how can I even seriously consider it?
A typical day starts at 5.30am. Rushing through the family's daily schedule with my Indonesian helper, I am out of the house at 7am, planting kisses on the sleeping children before leaving home with a heavy heart - knowing the next time I would see them would be close to their bed time.
(I also blow a kiss to my husband who is rushing out of the house at the same time, and if I'm lucky I will get to see him again before my bed-time - which explains why we are not able to produce any more children, even though we both love kids).
While at work, we dedicate all our waking hours to pleasing our bosses and clients. I should highlight that I am very blessed that my company is family-oriented and has given me leave as and when needed to care for my children. (I am also the only employee in the office with children.) I know of many mums who are not that lucky.
At 7-ish, after pushing my way through the sardine can called the MRT, I am dying and dragging myself home close to 9pm. My kids are so tired after school, they just want to hit the bed. If I am lucky and they are still active and playing, I get to speak to them and look through their schoolwork, before the good-night kisses. Then I have to shower and head straight to bed.
Weekends are nice, ferrying the kids to and from their extra curricular activities (we're thankful for our off-peak car - it's a good scheme the Land Transport Authority has in place).
Please, someone, tell me with this kind of robotic life that we are accustomed to, how can one even think of reproducing? I mean, the prime means of reproducing itself needs time and energy to happen. When people are dying of exhaustion, where do we find the strength to indulge in small talk or date nights with our spouses?
Before all working parents - especially mums - end up in the grave early due to this hectic lifestyle (and then even the population of elderly Singaporeans will decline too), I hope the ministries pertaining to manpower and family will look into this soon. Shorten our work days and give us more family time. I believe that other countries have opted to have several good measures to allow family bonding - we should do the same too.
Our working hours are too long. We are dying.
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