My Neighbour

We have a new neighbour who moved in to the apartment directly opposite us couple of weeks ago. It's exciting because our new neighbour is a family with 2 young kids, a boy and a girl. The mom is a SAHM too.

So, for the last couple of weeks, we see much activities happening at our shared backyard. The kids would run around, bring their toys out, hang things on the tree and even roll on the grass - a typical American family, I guess?

What amazes me too is the fact that they moved entirely on their own, with no help whatsoever. Daddy drives the U-Haul from Colorado, and the couple moved their furniture in, all by themselves, item by item.

While I see how this family does everything on their own, with 2 young kids in tow, at the same time, I read about some Singaporean SAHMs literally asking for recognition for the hard work they put in in raising their kids. They demand that they should be given equal subsidy as working moms from the Singapore government; they think they are playing an extremely important role in ensuring that the next generation is a great one; they complained that they slog day and night, and yet is not considered as contributing to society.

For me, being a SAHM is my personal choice. It is hard work, no doubt, but we all know that the ultimate beneficiary is none other than our kids. Why do we need recognition? Is life really so hard as a SAHM in Singapore?

Over here in the U.S., it is NOT UNCOMMON to have a SAHM who takes care of their own kids, be it 1 kid, 2 kids or more. Domestic helpers are not common here, childcare servies are not cheap either. And I honestly believe that they do not get any chilcare relief from any companies either. Do SAHMs here complain? Probably, because it is hard work, but do they demand for recognition from the society? I seriously do not think so.

Have we become too spoilt as Singaporeans? Has our threshold for hard work gone down with the comforts of Singapore? I seriously think it's time Singaporeans toughen up.
Or maybe it's because many of us in Singapore are trying too hard to be the perfect parents to raise perfect kids?! If this is really the case, I would think we are definitely fighting the wrong battle.