"Raising 7 children on under S$3,000 a month in Singapore
Family sizes have shrunk, but the Hengs have bucked the trend – and their choice has come with financial, logistical and parenting challenges. On The Red Dot explores life in a few of Singapore's rare big families.
Their monthly expenses amount to about S$3,000, which means there is nothing left to set aside as savings from Mr Heng's income as a social service worker.
His parents help out, and the family receives assistance from the Social Service Office with things like the conservancy charges for their five-room Housing and Development Board flat. Their children are under the Education Ministry’s Financial Assistance Scheme, and the family can tap the Community Health Assist Scheme for their medical bills.
Sometimes, Mr Heng also gets a “love offering” from his church friends. “They’d drop by and bless us with groceries or even bless the children with tickets to Universal Studios,” he said. His church has gifted them with staycations and trips to Malaysia.
And “that’s how we’ve been living our lives for the last 11 years”, he said, since he left the army to work in social service."
Indeed rare for married couple to want to hv kid, let alone 7!!
Such is the genuine love for Mr Heng, n luckily for him, his wife came along with his decision to hv more than 2 as was her original plan!!
Their case definitely deserves to be studies closely to help encourage n convince other married couples to hv at least 2 kids n yet hv fulfilling family life n the kids doing relatively well.
That those consumption "sacrifices" that most made a big deal ain't really sacrifices. With responsible consumption, every dollar n cent can stretch a long way.
Having good habits fr young like interest in reading n books n balanced it with sporting activities mean money can be saved with library books reading n healthier body n mind that keeps sickness away!!
How the social services sector n the various mechanisms put in place work for the HENGs r important to learn n replicate across the little red dot.
Their love for kids r much more powerful than, surely, cynicism that some folks must hv heaped on them.
Blessed them all.
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