Marriage & Parenthood Package
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Now ?
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For most, giving birth is not an issue...the biggest problem is raising and educating. Carrying my newborn niece gives me a good feeling, but the reminder of jabs, teething, going to kindy and the stress of education gives me the shudders. Even if I am offered $8000 for 3rd one, :dowan:
No thanks. -
A few years ago, we read somewhere that the cost of raising a child is $300,000. With inflation, it is definitely higher now. Whatever is offered, it is not going to be enough. In addition, now it is so troublesome to have a maid, housing is more expensive (we definitely need a bigger house if we want another child), car is unaffordable and we need more time and money to send the child to tuition. How to have another child?
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ngl2010:
A few years ago, we read somewhere that the cost of raising a child is $300,000. With inflation, it is definitely higher now. Whatever is offered, it is not going to be enough. In addition, now it is so troublesome to have a maid, housing is more expensive (we definitely need a bigger house if we want another child), car is unaffordable and we need more time and money to send the child to tuition. How to have another child?
Just hope that if everyone is going with just 1 child, the child does not become the “prince” or “princess” like those in China. Otherwise, Singapore will be in big trouble. -
ngl2010:
A few years ago, we read somewhere that the cost of raising a child is $300,000. With inflation, it is definitely higher now. Whatever is offered, it is not going to be enough. In addition, now it is so troublesome to have a maid, housing is more expensive (we definitely need a bigger house if we want another child), car is unaffordable and we need more time and money to send the child to tuition. How to have another child?
*Who looks after the baby? It's not fair to get grandparents to look after. A maid is not easily available nor reliable and is very expensive and troublesome.
*If surviving on single pay cheque, expenses are VERY tight.
*The cost of raising a child is very expensive as milk powder & diapers are expensive (even if using cloth diapers, water is not cheap)
*Going to school is insufficient...the child needs tuition because it is not possible to rely completely on the school
*Govt wants babies...but there are so many expenses involved.
*If couples want kids, the bb bonus is a bonus. If couples do not want, bonus is really no carrot. -
The Package offered is a bonus…but i felt it is not the influencing factor.
Time is a crucial deciding factor…If parents have not time for the kids…then dun bring them to the world.
FT working parents have v little time with the kids…i tink i see my colleagues more than my kids. And I dun even have 3 meals with my kids on weekdays.
We left early morning so the kids take their bfast in the car, they eat lunch either in school or my parents hse. They finished their dinner when I reached home. -
Dino mummy:
A friend of mine has 3 kids...she hardly has time to spend with them. Most of the time she is commuting between office, her parents' place and sending/picking up from tuition.The Package offered is a bonus...but i felt it is not the influencing factor.
Time is a crucial deciding factor...If parents have not time for the kids...then dun bring them to the world.
FT working parents have v little time with the kids...i tink i see my colleagues more than my kids. And I dun even have 3 meals with my kids on weekdays.
We left early morning so the kids take their bfast in the car, they eat lunch either in school or my parents hse. They finished their dinner when I reached home.
My other friend with 2 girls quit from workforce to coach kids in their school work...surviving on one pay check. Need tuition for Chinese. -
Personal view… just not enticing…
We already have 3 and I cannot imagine having the 4th. The financial package is just a "bonus" so it only helps to "subsidise" the cost. I believe raising kids is far more expensive that what they can offer. I recalled that my dc 3’s CDA was fully utilised when she was in K2 and she only attended a mid range kindy… The tax benefit was only good for a short period of time as well. We still have to pay taxes after that. I rather they have prolong tax rebates/ benefits for working fathers.
Cost aside. Most family need double income these days due to cost of living as well as financial security reasons… What if 1 spouse lose the job??? What’s next? My personal opinion and no offence to other SAHMs here, under one income (unless dh earns alot), savings for old age would be limited especially when there are many kids to feed. What happens during our old age and the kids also have their family to feed?
Next, time. Being a working mum, I am already struggling to have work life balance. My free time are spent on the kids’ studies and the only ME time is during school hols. I seriously cannot imagine having another child.
Over the past 2 years, I’ve alot of pals (pri and sec school mates and even colleagues) who just had their 1st or 2nd child. It’s a warm fuzzy feeling seeing their baby pics on fb… It made me feel that I am not too old to have a baby. Looking at the newborn pics made me think about my kids when they were babies… How those time flies by and how I miss their baby and toddler time… I imagine that if I have a baby now, I probably have 3 helpers who can help to carry baby, read to baby and take care of baby. We even joke about who should be in charge of night feeding… The 2 elder ones were like… dd2 should do the night feeding because she is in the afternoon session…
I think besides the above, the biggest issue is health reasons… I had complicated pregnancies and gynae said it will be worst with each pregnancy. So that is the biggest deterent… -
janet_lee88:
Agree. After one PSLE, the thought of going through another PSLE is daunting. If we don't put the same effort as the first kid, we will feel guilty. If we put the same effort, I think we will go crazy.ngl2010:
A few years ago, we read somewhere that the cost of raising a child is $300,000. With inflation, it is definitely higher now. Whatever is offered, it is not going to be enough. In addition, now it is so troublesome to have a maid, housing is more expensive (we definitely need a bigger house if we want another child), car is unaffordable and we need more time and money to send the child to tuition. How to have another child?
*Who looks after the baby? It's not fair to get grandparents to look after. A maid is not easily available nor reliable and is very expensive and troublesome.
*If surviving on single pay cheque, expenses are VERY tight.
*The cost of raising a child is very expensive as milk powder & diapers are expensive (even if using cloth diapers, water is not cheap)
*Going to school is insufficient...the child needs tuition because it is not possible to rely completely on the school
*Govt wants babies...but there are so many expenses involved.
*If couples want kids, the bb bonus is a bonus. If couples do not want, bonus is really no carrot. -
The package, really, is just a bonus incentive - to those who are already inclined to have children. However, the truth is that many choose to stop at one, or not have children at all. We are just so caught up in an environment where competition is so tough at workplace. Like it or not, whether it is public or private sector, the management will always expect attendance above 99% and productivity above 99%. On the paper, it looks so good. But how many can actually take 16 weeks of maternity leave - and not worry about being passed for a promotion, penalised on bonus and performance, etc? And these are real issues - like it or not, some pregnancies are much more demanding than others - as a result, performance does suffer.
And then there is the question, if one was ignorrant enough to have gone through one tough pregnancy and being somewhat \"penalised\" at work, how many would take the risk a second or third time? :siao: :siao:
Then there is the issue of childcare, education, etc.... :slapshead:
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