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The way we define success makes it hard to raise children in Singapore

A deeper issue is a culture that treats childhood as a high-stakes project and success as a narrow, unforgiving race.

Parenting is increasingly experienced as a high-stakes project with timelines, milestones and strong expectations.

ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Vincent Chua and Tan Poh Lin

Singapore’s

fertility problem

is often framed as a question of costs, time and support.

Housing prices,

childcare availability

and parental leave all matter. But they do not fully explain why many couples, including those who are financially stable, delay having children or stop at one.

See more on

Fertility rate

Babies

Marriage

Singapore population

Cost of living