Should we also “turn off the lights” to help boost Singapore’s low birth rate?

The problems lies with the pressure to earn a living & survival and holding on to your job and being responsible and everything else naturally became 2nd.

It's too stressful to earn a normal living in Singapore even as a graduate, let alone those not so well educated enough to find a suitable job.

At the same time, Singaporeans are too choosy and wants to live a comfortable life but refuse to work hard - want to work less with high pay and thus rather spent time enjoying life as a single to the max and having more kids adds more burden and stress.

To me, life is similar to the earth, which is round. What goes around comes around and there are many hurdles in life that we have to go through to complete the cycle but maybe only the our parents and our generation are being more proactive about life circle BUT not today's youngster and young adults.

They are more selfish and self centred - everything is about themselves and all they care for is me, myself and what others can give me?

For myself, life is about how happy can one be is more important than how much money you can earn in this lifetime cos money does not give you total satisfaction and happiness but yet we can't live without it.

One must learn to be satisfied with what you can afford and not to envy others and live within your means and only strive for the best with whatever abilities you possess or upgrade and move on stage by stage and most importantly must value your money when you spent it.

Eg. One Macdonald meal with the entire family can easily cost S$50.00 but the same amount can buy groceries that can last 3 meals a day for at least 4 days - that's how money can be valued and how expandable money can be - Spent on what you need daily and Not what you want cos you want everything in life which everyone of us cannot afford - it's an endless list that even a gold mountain would eventually melt down.

We are a small country and to stay competitive with the rest of the world, without natural resources, we have to work doubly hard - together with our countries high living standards, we are all struggling with our lives everyday and that to me is the REAL reason why Singaporeans today would only want the best for their kid and the very same reason - 1 child or no child till their savings are at certain limits before couples decide to have a baby and by then only God knows whether that couple can conceive or not. Today's couple worries more with their looks, dressings, status etc and too calculative so much so that they became too worried unnecessary and either too scared or delayed their plan for a family.

Nobody today are as natural and understand a very simple life cycle and (myself) I can't stand couple who plans their marriage with an agreement of only having a baby after 2 to 3 years later - cos that to me is not commitment but stupidity, being naive and selfish as they only think for themselves and self satisfaction etc. ( Sorry if anyone is offended )

My reasons for marriage is very simple - Only marry your love one when you are ready to start a family and not marry him or her so that either is confirmed as mine and feels secured - which to me is nonsense cos this relationship may not even last for various reason - work commitments, overseas attachments, coming home late etc and when frictions occur - divorce comes into play ...

BUT if one marries and start an immediate family - there's love in the family. Something to look after and share the love with - coming home to play with your kids - feeding you kid - growing and learning with them - life then becomes so much more challenging and meaningful and whatever stress one may have is lessen when it's about time to go home - you'll love your wife more for the kids and the food taste better than those in the hawker centre - the lists goes on and on........

The most important thing in life that keeps a couple's relationship ever lasting ( from my experience ) is communication and home cook food and never NEVER take things for granted - even as simple as saying something nice to each other, helping each other without feeling uncomfortable, all these gestures etc is simple, easy and very VERY important but almost everyone of us take it for granted and never even bother to do it and expects all things to be what it should have been but always it never happens and tensions start to arise and resulting in arguments, quarrels and fights and broken family starts to come into play and night lives - by escaping to be with others instead of going home to one's own family as the family is not harmonious and full of nagging etc.....

It's a never ending stories when we are talking about life and simple things are always taken for granted almost by everybody everyday and nobody seems to have taken notice and resulting in lots of unnecessary stress - cos by themselves and we start to blame everybody else but ourselves.

Always in look yourself in the mirror ( and think thrice

Singapore’s population has increased every year to almost 25% over the past ten years - it is now close to 5 million people. The population density of Singapore is now 18,350 people per square mile making it the third most densely populated country in the world. In comparison, the US has a population density of 83 people per square mile. If the US had the same population density as Singapore, the population would be around 68 billion people. This is more than ten times the population of the world.

I'm sure I am not alone when I say the malls, parks, highways, parking areas, MRT, buses, and restaurants are already way overcrowded on the weekend. Will adding more people improve the quality of life? I just can't imagine what life in Singapore will be like when the population is pushed another 20% from 4.987M to 6.0M.

The next time you are waiting in a long queue, or crammed into the MRT, think about standing there with an additional 20% more people. It will help pass the time

I am not sure just one day in a week, really will help birth rate. If govt do give the same 'order' to our citizens then most of the couples will get home and relax other than trying to make babies as the next day is a working day.

Step by step OTs should be cut down to help our childbirth problem. It is a problem in a big scale so government should take more effective way. Childcare during the early stages are still an existing concern and our expenses are rocket-high that both the parents have to work. It is proven that a child need any of his/her parent to be around until the age of 5.

More singles are career minded than to have a mind to settle for a spouse and grow the family. No OTs, in a way will help out but how about the employers...what would they think of the 'order'! If they need people after the official office hours, there can be suggestion. We can think of employing older citizens (age 50 and above) to be employed on hourly basis. Many married senior citizens have grown up kids.

This method will solve both childbirth and senior citizens employment issues. Another issue which will be solved will be 'saving of electricity if we can switch off the lights of many offices after 6pm!!!

well?

Due to high standards of living couple dont dare to give birth this is also the cause of low pay rates in singapore and long hours of working although singapore has encourage workers to rest during the weekend but there is too much work for them to complete even if they can rest, during the weekday they will need to overtime.Stuff at singapore is getting expensive year by year.Houses are also getting more expensive but the sizes of the rooms are also getting small and smaller.Many people from singapore are also emigrating as the standard of living is too high.Singapore is also a very competitive when u go to a party u ask 10 people 9 people will have a diploma how about 10 years later all will have a degree or a PHD.Ladies are now more highly educated and tends look for a handsome guy instead of the good quality that the guy have.ERP is also a main problem also it is a successful scheme that singapore had created ppl working at the town area are always going home late due to the ERP because ERP is expensive and the time is extended till 10.30pm so ppl will go late so they do not need to pay for the ERP fee.

It helps but it isn't a long term solution.

The govt has to look broader factors such as a person's happiness and how to quantify it. A population's happiness certainly goes a long way to encouraging people to stay in the country and raise children.

A few people have brought up several points such as a perpetually increasing population, more foreigners and activating ERP gantries until late at night. These are all totally valid concerns that need to be addressed. Boosting the economy is a good thing but there comes a point where a country needs to strike a balance where a choice needs to be made in either increasing the country's growth exponentially or just growing the economy marginally while focusing on increasing the population.

Singaporeans obviously want to bring up their children in the best possible environment so how can that be done? The govt simply needs to appease and make the locals happy.

To abbreviate,

1. Cost of living can be brought down - one example is football lovers watch EPL but why do they pay an exorbitant rate when other countries get it for free? The govt (MDA) can step in to regulate this aspect.

2. Demand for housing can be managed if citizens do not have to compete with PRs.

3. Employment can be managed - provide more opportunities for locals in schools so they do not need to go overseas to study. They can then contribute in Singapore as opposed to staying overseas to contribute to overseas economies.

4. Transport can be managed - add more arterial routes for cars and increase the MRT network. The COE quota does not need to be reduced nor do ERP gantries need to be increased - it can be maintained by staggering the working hours. Eg. Why does HDB stop work around 1730 when its services can start and end later (maybe start 1000, end 2000) to cater to the office crowd so that people don't need to take leave to use HDB services?

5. If the local population always needs to be on its toes, they will always feel a sense of unease wondering whether Singapore is the best country to bring up their children in. If the locals know that their children will have an increasingly difficult time competing with foreign talent in schools, it will be a serious turnoff to have children. This is ironic as the govt wants more immigrants to make up for the lack of local births whereas because the govt has this policy, the local population will be less inclined to have children.

These are just some points but the emphasis is on the local population's happiness.

In a nutshell,

More happiness = more security = more babies

If the country is serious about boosting birth rate, I think the government really have to make some bold moves (like the decision to build IRs), instead of turning off the light earlier once a month.

Bringing up a child is undeniably difficult. I truely think that education up to secondary school should be bonded by the government and there after subsidised in part. The parents already have enough headache with the bringing up of the child, ie, who to take care of the child when the parents work, how to make sure the child perform well in class, and their daily meals, clothes, and other expenditures etc, the government should take responsibility too. Though the child belongs to the parents, he/she also belongs to the country and it is the interest of the country that the child grow up to be a useful citizen instead of an uneducated child.

Sharing of this burden should encourage more births since it will take away part of the heavy cost of living here.

This is just my opinion, anyway it is useless suggesting because it is the rich who are making the policies and they can never understand how the poor lives, because they will never be in such position.

After reading so many answers from other internet user, the answer is clear, there are just too many concerns Singaporean are facing, by turning off the lights alone will not boost the birth rate. For Singapore government, it's really a big challenge on balancing the economies and birth rate problem since we got no natural resources and land area. I agree with other user that school fees from young to maybe diploma level should be free. But maybe not for the first child. This is to encourage parents to have 2 or more children. And also, in my own opinion, parents should be able to afford if they only have 1 child.

How to make babies when the stress level is so high? The stresses Singaporean facing are mainly multi tasking working environment, work late due to unfinish tasks given or net meetings, taking care of kids when reach home and so on. What's the point to switch off lights when the bosses will tell staffs to submit next day? What's the point to have more match-make when seperation will result due to stress? Too much promotion of woman right is also the indirect cause of birth rate because of more seperation happened. Low salary is also another cause. How to provide the children needs if we cannot affort? As a parent, who want their childen to be in the blue collars?

Governments, not only Singapore, should look at all the points mentioned and not just blindly look for new ( or should I said stupid ) solutions which they will not work. Making babies need love, not a routine or just to give instruction. We are human, not animal.

Singapore is in a fast pace environment and not able to multi task will get left behind or regards as no capability. Therefore too many a times people will have to work even harder than those around them to prove a point.

Where working hours got extended and even brought home to slog it through the night so that the reports will be ready for presentation.

The cost of living is rising on the uptrend and soon enough we will be like Hong Kong and Japan, with all these single/low income family/couple how to make more babies.

I feel if government wishes to boost the birth rates they should give 50% subsidy for first Child (90% - 100% subsidy on education, hospital, healthcare for the second or third child)

I believe those who can or are thinking about it will make time to make it happen since the government is supporting the heavy bills especially the healthcare and education why not?

Anyway these are my views on the topic

I don't think it will help. The Government obviously hasn't grasped what turn some people off procreation in Singapore, or in other developed countries for that matter. Those who want children will continue to have it, those who don't want, no amount of incentives will help, unless the incentives far outweigh the costs of rearing a child. But I think most people understand that they want a child because they want it, not because of the incentive. Same reason as to why you need a pet. A rough calculation of the cost of rearing a child from birth to his university, is mind-boggling.It's a lifetime commitment with no returns. Not to mention the heartaches along the way when your child runs into trouble and become a rebel. Also young people nowadays, unlike our parents, don't bring up a child so that they can look after them when they are old. If they do, well, it's a bonus. I don;t know abt myself. But life is short. I want as few as burdens as possible. All those money spend on a child I could use to travel to see the world or pamper on myself and my family members. Since I don't want a child, my gf and I very much prefer a dog for companionship, which though not cheap either and also a huge responsibility, it is at most 10-15 years of commitment, and without too much of the teenage problems that a child with bring with him.

The government should encourage Singaporeans to have families or to make new additions to their families by incentivising corporations to be family-friendly. This includes allowing executives to "work from home", encouraging family activities at company sponsored outings, encouraging or incentivising companies to have day-care centers at the offices for pre-school kids and the like. Simply having more match-making companies does not solve the problem. The Singapore government should change its attitude and run Singapore like a Country and not a Corporation. Take away the focus on industry and churning out profits and allow a balance between work and life. This is a cultural issue, not an economic one. Today's culture is the result of tens of years of focused social engineering that was done to boost Singapore into the industrial and service age. Today we are also paying the price for some party's dreams.....