Original websiter:http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_482909.html
From The Strait Times Jan 28,2010
Full-time mums should enjoy full subsidies too
BEFORE parents decide to have another child, they must consider all aspects, including finances. I did so and was disappointed to find out that a non-working mother receives only half what a working mother is entitled to when her child is placed in full-day care.
Although I understand the rationale of a non-working mother as the main caregiver, I have some questions that need to be answered before I decide if having another child is well within my means.
Logically, doesn't a single-income family deserve more subsidy than a dual-income one?
As working and non-working mothers both 'contribute' to increasing the population, why make a difference?
Have policymakers ever tried taking care of a newborn, and meeting the demands of a young child and housework, all without help?
While many stay-home mothers may be able to cope with a newborn, a young child and housework, how many have found it a struggle and kept silent?
Having a baby is a joy but imagine that joy turning into a juggling nightmare.
If this struggle is removed, some single-child mothers like me may be persuaded to have another child.
Ng Hwee Kiang (Ms)
Reflection
I REFER to today's forum commentary. 'full time mums should enjoy subsidies too' by Ms Ng Hwee Kiang. She indicated a phenomena that full time mothers did not get as much as the working mothers. From her letter, she doubted the policymakers' decision of non-working mothers' subsidies. In additon, she also described the diffficulties for a full time mother to rise up a baby. So, she hoped that the full time mothers can get full subsidies.
In my own opinion, I agree with what she said. For a family rises several children, the mother has to give up her job to look after these babies at most of the time. As we all know, it will cost much to rise up a baby. For these families, if the govrnment did not provide enough subsidies, how can them live a good life. In that condition, mothers may not willing to give birth to another children and the population of the nation can not increase.
So, I think the government should take the pubilc's advice, making sure that the full time mothers can get full time subsidies.
mostly i agree with Holly, especially to a country like Singapore. As we know, Singapore is encouraging the residences to have children as many as possible. I think one way to satisfy this aim is to provide the subsidies as many as possible because of its importance to the future of Singapore.
回复删除Comment by Corbin (Guan Mingyang)
回复删除I disagree with what the author and Holly think. In my opinion, those full-time mothers just need to take care of their own family without working. This is obviously easier compared to those part-time mothers because part-time mothers need to concern about both the family issue and working issues. If full-time mothers feel that it is not fair for them because they do not have as much subsidies as others, why don’t they go to find a job? According to those ideas above, I think it is very reasonable that they should get lower subsidies.
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回复删除After reading the original article and comment from Holly, Eric, and Corbin, I think it is fair to give full-time mums and working mums the same subsidies. whether to work or not is the own choice of the mothers. Maybe the family has a nanny at home, so the mother can go to work without worrying about the child. Maybe the father makes much money, so the mother do not need to work at all. As far as I know, to encourage more babies, the government give subsidies to family with more babies, I think it is a good idea.
回复删除--By Jason
I agree with what Holly said that full-time mother should get full subsidies.I think that having jobs or not is the decision by mothers and since all the mother are the same, why do we give them different subsidies. Furthermore, mothers choosing to work or not is based on their own situations and I think the amount of subsidies should not be an ingredient to influence mother's choice. In my opinion, all mothers should get the same subsidies and if the mother chooses to have a job, she must pay more attention to jobs. The money she gets from the job is her reward by doing jobs. --By Ryan
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