X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Mrs Josephine Teo urges Singaporeans: “Don’t wait till it’s too late”

3 min read

A letter to Singaporeans:

Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo shares the story of her family in a recent FB post. It's not just any other ordinary post, but within her story, lies a lesson. A lesson of family planning and realisation in which Singaporeans can benefit and learn from.

She reminisced about a conversation she had with her husband about 15 years ago, where they had spoken about how their lives revolved around their son, from the day he was born. It was during the time that she was expecting her twins as well, and both were excited, but expressed concerns over how they would be able to cope.

Mrs Josephine Teo shares how she and her husband never needed "children to feel the fullness of life."

Mrs Josephine Teo also remembers telling her husband how satisfied they were with their lives prior to having kids and that they may never have “experienced the joys of parenthood” due to the different aspects of their lives being fulfilled. To put it simply, she says, “we did not need children to feel the fullness of life”.

They could have deferred parenthood as “it would have been easier to chase the next overseas posting or try and get a sponsorship for further studies”.

She then brings up the fact that in 2014, the median age for Singaporeans to have a first child was at 30.3 years, an age higher than the median of 29.2 years in 2004.

It is also mentioned that “the proportion of couples who have never had children by the time their wives are in their 40s has also risen from 7% to 11% from 2004 to 2014. Some are childless by choice, but we know from a past survey that around 96% of married couples intend to have kids”.

In the later part of the post, she writes about how she knew of a couple who got married in their late 20s, and thought that “time was on their side and that having a baby would be easy”. They had only managed to conceive after “five and a half years of marriage and hard work”.

“Housing & Development Board (HDB) is already helping young couples set up their homes early. Those planning to get married can buy a flat under the fiancé-fiancée scheme. Housing grants are available to offset some costs for both new and resale flats. Last August, we also raised the income ceiling for couples buying Build-To-Order Flats and Executive Condominiums by $2,000 each - to $12,000 and $14,000 respectively.”

Read the full post here.

Image credits: Facebook

What are some of your thoughts on family planning in Singapore? Share with us in the comments below. 

Partner Stories
Facing Parenting Challenges? Help is at Hand. Just Reach Out.
Facing Parenting Challenges? Help is at Hand. Just Reach Out.
Parenting Lesson from a New Mum - Don’t Try to Do it All on Your Own!
Parenting Lesson from a New Mum - Don’t Try to Do it All on Your Own!
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
Bathroom Cleaning 101: A Complete Clean in Just 5 Minute Featuring Tips from Zoe Raymond
Bathroom Cleaning 101: A Complete Clean in Just 5 Minute Featuring Tips from Zoe Raymond

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Pavin Chopra

  • Home
  • /
  • Parenting
  • /
  • Mrs Josephine Teo urges Singaporeans: “Don’t wait till it’s too late”
Share:
  • This Website Provides Resources To Help Creative Professionals In Singapore Who Lost Gigs Due To COVID-19

    This Website Provides Resources To Help Creative Professionals In Singapore Who Lost Gigs Due To COVID-19

  • Festivities for the family in Singapore!

    Festivities for the family in Singapore!

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • This Website Provides Resources To Help Creative Professionals In Singapore Who Lost Gigs Due To COVID-19

    This Website Provides Resources To Help Creative Professionals In Singapore Who Lost Gigs Due To COVID-19

  • Festivities for the family in Singapore!

    Festivities for the family in Singapore!

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.