Government, what you really want us to do?

[Melodies]

I tell myself not to be a burden to my dc and have to be financially independent.

[Melodies]

Having said that I do agree that mindset of people and the choice of lifestyle do play a part in the low fertility rate.

[iggy]

Agree with nightlone. The best "headstart" we can give our kids is to be financially independent ourselves. Hopefully the kid will learn from us and be self sufficient. But( always a but) its easier said than done with escalating house prices…

[Dora1]

pirate:

3Boys:

Your turn pirate.

(1a) Working mothers' child relief - up to $50,000 per child, with the stated purpose of \"encouraging married women to remain in the workforce after having children\" (as per IRAS website).

(1b) I see a lot of navel gazing about how to make childcare affordable etc., but nothing in relation to the burden of families with a SAHM.

(2) Affordability of HDB BTO is measured with reference to household income. The average household income from work at the 41st-50th percentile in Singapore in 2011 is $7,032 per month. The median gross monthly income (excluding employer's CPF) from work for full-time employed resident (ie. SCs and PRs) is $2,925. For males in the 25-29 age group with secondary, post-secondary (non-tertiary) education, diploma & professional qualification and degree education, the corresponding number is $1,800, $1,950, $2,500 and $3,612 respectively. In MND's blog titled \"Are HDB flats affordable?\" on 12/11/10, the then Minister referenced affordability to BTO flats (with a 30 year mortgage after housing grants) using the following monthly household income yardstick, 2-room $1,400, 3-room $2,300, 4-room $4,200. Do your own maths whether MND is talking about a single or double income household.

More than half of single income graduate households are expected to have an instalment to income ratio of more than 27% if they aspire to anything more than a 3-room BTO (ie. 2 bedrooms) in a non-mature estate.

Incidentally, this doesn't affect me. I am not looking to buy a BTO.

:goodpost: I totally agree, esp the last point on the BTO flats. Most of my younger family members are putting off marriage and kids because of the insane flat prices and not being able to ballot successfully. Even those who eventually manage to ballot are waiting 3 years, by which time they are all 30+ already. Likelihood of more children greatly reduced.

[BabyRR]

I am slightly surprised to see that so far in this debate regarding TFR, there’s been no mention about the domestic helper situation.

I feel that unless one has fantastic family support network ie. grandparents helping out with kids, a reliable domestic helper is immensely helpful especially when you are talking about a dual income family with very young kids. ie< 2years. And I feel the current luck of draw system in selection of domestic helper, as well as the limited supply of good helpers is a big impediment to couples who may otherwise have considered more than 1 or 2 kids.

[Oppsgal]

BabyRR:

I am slightly surprised to see that so far in this debate regarding TFR, there's been no mention about the domestic helper situation.

I feel that unless one has fantastic family support network ie. grandparents helping out with kids, a reliable domestic helper is immensely helpful especially when you are talking about a dual income family with very young kids. ie< 2years. And I feel the current luck of draw system in selection of domestic helper, as well as the limited supply of good helpers is a big impediment to couples who may otherwise have considered more than 1 or 2 kids.

I don't dare to depend on maids to look after my kid.

[nightlone]

Oppsgal:

BabyRR:

I am slightly surprised to see that so far in this debate regarding TFR, there's been no mention about the domestic helper situation.

I feel that unless one has fantastic family support network ie. grandparents helping out with kids, a reliable domestic helper is immensely helpful especially when you are talking about a dual income family with very young kids. ie< 2years. And I feel the current luck of draw system in selection of domestic helper, as well as the limited supply of good helpers is a big impediment to couples who may otherwise have considered more than 1 or 2 kids.

I don't dare to depend on maids to look after my kid.

yah i also don't dare. Even when I was a single mum, I rather put him in day care than hire a maid.
Some maids very terok one. I'm not going to risk finding out with my kid.
My friend's maid left the baby in the sarong and went downstairs somewhere. Then forget to take key. So she became scared lah, called the locksmith, then my friend realised she always left the baby alone in the house.

[sunset_dae]

maids have broke my trust in them, I will never rely on them to take care of my kids.

I rather leave my child with a baby sitter than maid.

nightlone:

Oppsgal:

[quote=\"BabyRR\"]I am slightly surprised to see that so far in this debate regarding TFR, there's been no mention about the domestic helper situation.
I feel that unless one has fantastic family support network ie. grandparents helping out with kids, a reliable domestic helper is immensely helpful especially when you are talking about a dual income family with very young kids. ie< 2years. And I feel the current luck of draw system in selection of domestic helper, as well as the limited supply of good helpers is a big impediment to couples who may otherwise have considered more than 1 or 2 kids.

I don't dare to depend on maids to look after my kid.

yah i also don't dare. Even when I was a single mum, I rather put him in day care than hire a maid.
Some maids very terok one. I'm not going to risk finding out with my kid.
My friend's maid left the baby in the sarong and went downstairs somewhere. Then forget to take key. So she became scared lah, called the locksmith, then my friend realised she always left the baby alone in the house.[/quote]

[Lilac66]

BabyRR:

I am slightly surprised to see that so far in this debate regarding TFR, there's been no mention about the domestic helper situation.

I feel that unless one has fantastic family support network ie. grandparents helping out with kids, a reliable domestic helper is immensely helpful especially when you are talking about a dual income family with very young kids. ie< 2years. And I feel the current luck of draw system in selection of domestic helper, as well as the limited supply of good helpers is a big impediment to couples who may otherwise have considered more than 1 or 2 kids.

In the past, with extended families staying within the same household and also we have a strong network support from neighbours , taking care of children was not that immense a problem.

I remember as a child , my siblings and I spent quite a fair bit of time at my neighbour's house as our parents were working long hours just to make ends meet.

[corneyAmber]

Lilac66:

BabyRR:

I am slightly surprised to see that so far in this debate regarding TFR, there's been no mention about the domestic helper situation.

I feel that unless one has fantastic family support network ie. grandparents helping out with kids, a reliable domestic helper is immensely helpful especially when you are talking about a dual income family with very young kids. ie< 2years. And I feel the current luck of draw system in selection of domestic helper, as well as the limited supply of good helpers is a big impediment to couples who may otherwise have considered more than 1 or 2 kids.

In the past, with extended families staying within the same household and also we have a strong network support from neighbours , taking care of children was not that immense a problem.

I remember as a child , my siblings and I spent quite a fair bit of time at my neighbour's house as our parents were working long hours just to make ends meet.

Government tries to promote neighbourliness but somehow it failed compared to the past because people like to keep to themselves these days.