Daily Lessons from Life 24 August 2012 - Change in mindset, environment needed to encourage more to start families

Glad to know that the Norway mass killer Breivik is jailed for 21 years instead of being allowed on insanity plead! Whatever went through his mind when he did what he had done will not happened again for another 21 years!

"Change in mindset, environment needed to encourage more to start families - CNA 25 August 2012

SINGAPORE: Marriage and Parenthood measures will only be effective if fundamental issues relating to Singaporean's mindsets, values and environment change. That is the premise behind the recommendations submitted by the National Family Council (NFC) to the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).

To do that, the NFC has proposed a two-pronged approach. First - inculcating a "Family First" mindset in all policies, programmes and institutions, and second - improving "hardware" to create an environment and culture that is more supportive of starting a family.

The NFC said inculcating a "Family First" mindset does not mean prioritising family above all issues, to the point that other equally important demands like the economy are affected. It instead, means rebalancing existing priorities and re-introducing family as a basic value and consideration.

Among its recommendations to achieve a "Family First" mindset - the institution of a family charter. This will ensure all government policies and programmes are scrutinised for their impact on the family.

The NFC has also suggested setting up a National Family Centre and gazetting a public holiday to celebrate the family. It has proposed programmes to inculcate a family first mindset from young in schools, and setting up a family-friendly index to measure the pro-family level of companies.

To make Singapore's environment and culture more supportive, specific issues also need to be addressed. One such issue is housing - which many have said are unaffordable. The NFC has proposed setting aside a stock of flats to rent to young couples waiting for their new flats.

Providing an additional housing grant for couples with three or more children to upgrade to bigger flats is also another suggestion. To address the issue of childcare, it has also suggested an increase in infant care subsidy from S$600 to S$800 for working mothers. The other issue that needs to be addressed is work-life integration. The NFC has suggested that reducing official working hours and capping overtime work is one way to do that."

I am glad that the NFC works from the fundamental values FIRST! Indeed, any sustainable policies MUST be anchored on solid and broad long term values and views.

Lessons for me are:

TRY them!! Along with 6 proposal from the PAP's Women's Wing and also some so-called proposals from the MEN reported in the news the last few days!

I will stop here as the NFC's KEY idea resonate with mine! Mindset change and starting from the young schooling age (not 'sexual education' but family values :-))!! Including you cannot balance work-life if you have kids! I beg to differ. In fact, you must think of work-life balance when you have kids!!