7/28/2019 Dreams...Realities n Opportunities _ Pt 6

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the population issue11the population issue10

To me, having a amilywould mean needingto have our own home

frst, and even a car to erry ourkids around ... Ideally, I wouldwant my frst child beore 30, sothat well still have the energy toplay and keep up with them.

The risstartin

I wantkids,

but notjust yet

Final-yarunivrsity

studnt

shandboyFrind

vincntwantto

hav2childrn

costsandbuyin

ahomarky concrns

msraldintan,24

Photoooi Boon Keong

age

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21

25

30

35

40

45

te f d

Supply o27,000 HDB Build-to-Order (BTO) fats this year, and atleast 20,000 next year.

First-timer application rates below 2,meaning that almost all rst-timers getthe chance to select a fat when theyapply, especially in non-mature estates.

Young couples encouraged to lookor BTO fats in non-mature estates,where prices are lower

The debt-servicing ratio (monthlyinstallment as a ratio o income) or newfats in non-mature estates, oered inthe rst hal o 2012, was 10 per cent or

a two-room fat, 23 per cent or athree-room fat, and 25 per cent or aour-/ve-room fat.

This means 80 per cent o new fatbuyers can service their HDB mortgageloans entirely from their CPF.

Even in the case o bigger fats, at theS$381,000 average selling price o ave-room BTO fat (in a non-matureestate in 1H2012), and the S$5,600median household income o applicants,the monthly installment payable incash was S$85 (out o a total monthlyinstallment o S$1,373).

FlatsForyoun

coupls

ReUteRSW

hen I was younger, I dreamtabout having a whole house-ful of kids. Then as I grew

older, it became three, because thatshow many my parents had.

Now, after the occasional discus-sions that my boyfriend Vincent andI have about the future, weve decidedto stop at two. Hopefully we have a boyand a girl.

To me, having kids completes afamily. Children bring added joy to amarried couple and bring them closeras they strive to make things workout, not only for themselves but for thesake of their children too.

I also see the importance of theAsian tradition of continuing the fam-ily line. In the future, when we haveaged and retired, my children will fol-low in our footsteps of supporting us,as we are doing now for our parents.

But right now, all this seems like adistant prospect, given that Im onlycompleting my marketing degree nextyear. Now, my priority would be to dowell for my modules, and then ndinga good, well-paying job that will giveme satisfaction.

buyin a Flat

See, thats the crux of the issue. I wantto do the things that make me happy,I want to travel, to have the means tobuy the latest IT bag, to spend moretime with Vincent.

But everything is about the mon-ey these days. We have to think twice

about eating at expensive restaurantswhen we go out on dates, and he hasto work hard, work over-time, to save

enough so that our future is well-pro-vided for.

It seems to me the cost of startinga family is expensive in Singapore.To me, having a family would meanneeding to have our own home rst,and even a car to ferry our kidsaround.

How long would we have to work topay o our loans, much less come upwith the money to support a family?

I am hoping to get a ve-room at,or a four-room if it is in a central lo-cation. We looked at a Build-to-Orderproject in Ang Mo Kio where it wasabout S$400,000 and above for a four-room at. We might also look at thePunggol area, as for the same sum wecould probably get a ve-room.

One good thing is, I read about howthe Government is looking at givingcouples with young children the pri-ority over others when booking HDBats. This would denitely encourageme to have children early.

bFor im 30

I understand that medical expertshave consistently warned againstwomen putting o having children toa later age because of the health risksto both mother and baby. I complete-ly agree.

Ideally, I would want to have myrst child before the age of 30, so that

well still have the energy to play, run,and keep up with them.

I have some worries about when mykids reach school-going age. Will I beable to send them to a good school?Will they require enrichment classesto do well?

Will I have the money to send themfor piano lessons and other activities,which would let them explore paths Iwas not able to?

Recently, the Prime Minister saidthat children shouldnt always be justdoing homework, and in a way, I agreewith him. But how will they be able tocompete with their peers if they dontstudy hard?

In the future, Im sure that they willbe facing a tougher rat race, a morecompetitive environment. I want toprovide them with a good headstart inlife, in order to safeguard their future.

workliF balanc counts

All in all, I would want to give my chil-dren the best, but Im not sure I can if

coupls ar marryin latr ...

The median ageof marriage for men was

28.7 in 200129.7in 200630.1 in 2011

The median ageof marriage for women was

26.0 in 200126.7in 200627.8in 2011

... which mans

thy ar also havin Fwr childrn

2001

1.80 1.62 1.52

2006 2011

The average numberborn to

women aged 30-39(and who have been

married)declined over

the last decade

The median age

of mothers at rst birth was

28.7 in 200129.4in 200629.8in 2011

... which mans

mothrs ar havin thir First child latr

I dont continue working and bringingin the money alongside Vincent.

I also am not sure if I really want

to give up my career to have children,especially if I am making headway.And theres no point of havi ng chil-dren when I cant take care of themmyself and have to foist them on myparents.

I think I will opt for exible workarrangements when my children hitprimary school age; hopefully it willbe a practice better embraced by com-panies in the near future.

Its encouraging that there hasbeen talk to extend paternit y leave.There is always the question, though,of whether companies will actuallygrant the leave when push comes toshove. The Government must be rmon that.

Looking at all the baby subsidiesand incentives, I must say that theGovernment is going all out to boostfertility rates.

The payouts thats aboutS$142,000 for two children arequite substantial, and I especially likethat between husband and wife, we get

12 days of paid childcare leave. Theseare such nitty-gritty details, but theyhave obviously thought about it.

However, to me, having children i snot a matter of national duty nor themonetary benets. Having kids wouldbe about adding value to my life, andI would want to be prepared men-tally, nancially, physically beforehaving them.

SoURce:ePidemiologica

today wednesday 7 november 2012 t

*all figUReS RefeR toSingaPoRecitizenS.SoURce: nPtd

SoURce:hdB