Dear Insiders,
This week, I shared an opinion piece about why Singapore needs to stop making parenthood so difficult if we genuinely want more people to have children.
The response surprised me.
The LinkedIn post received more than 63,000 impressions, 88 reactions, 18 comments and four reposts. It became, by far, my most discussed post.
What stood out was how differently people approached the issue.
Some focused on cost. Others argued that the joy of having children outweighs the expense. One commenter pointed to the pressure created by Singapore’s narrow definition of success: good schools, enrichment classes and the constant fear that a child might fall behind.
There was also a clear generational divide.
One older parent described raising four children without extensive planning. A younger commenter questioned whether that was realistic under today’s housing costs and expectations.
Both were speaking from experience. But they were not speaking about the same world.
Parenthood today is not only about whether someone wants a child. It is also about whether they feel financially secure, emotionally supported and able to absorb the effect on their career, relationship and daily life.
That is why I do not think the answer is simply to tell people to be less afraid or more willing to sacrifice.
Some of the difficulty is structural.
On a smaller scale, it has also shaped the guides I have been creating for The Wellness Insider. They will not solve housing costs, unequal caregiving or inflexible workplaces. But they may reduce some of the research, uncertainty and decision fatigue that parents carry.
Sometimes, making life more sustainable is not about one dramatic solution. It is about removing some of the friction that builds up every day.
That applies to ambition. It applies to work. And it applies to family life too.
It’s a wrap
Curves, Clarity, Confidence
“Parenthood shouldn’t demand permanent exhaustion.”
Until next time,
Serving weighty thoughts with a side of sass.