It’s interesting that when I tell people that I’m a stay-at-home mum, I often feel a tinge of guilt. I just can’t help it, even though I enjoy what I’m doing.
These days, it’s common for mums to work outside their homes, leaving the care of their kids to grandmothers, nannies, domestic helpers or childcare providers. Interestingly, just one generation ago, most mums stayed at home. According to the Department of Statistics, Singapore’s female labour participation rate rose from 28.2% in 1970 to 50.2% in 2000. Notice how this societal change took place over a generation.
Most of the mums I know in my generation (sister, sis-in-law, cousins and friends) work full-time outside their homes. And the force of change has to be education, right? Back then, women generally did not receive much education and the jobs they held paid little; hence it was very natural for them to look after their kids when they came along.
I feel most people expect me to work and earn an income. Afterall, it makes economic sense. I have a university degree and a cost-benefit-analysis would show that I’ll be better off financially by working and outsourcing the care of my kid. But what if I followed my heart and chose to be a stay-at-home mum?
I feel guilty! Why? Because I received an education that was supposed to liberate women from their homes. It didn’t work on me, I guess…
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