154th 21-Yr-Old SPG Scholar Wants to Have 4 Kids Woh!

Sell back side also can to help in the propaganda blitz?

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Aug 24, 2008
special report: babies
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>A blessing, not a sacrifice
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Esther Teo
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->If two's company and three's a crowd, what does four make? I mean kids here, and a happy family for me has four children.
I have always wanted a big family because I come from a great one myself, even though ours was from the conformist 'Stop at Two' era.
Children are a blessing, not a sacrifice. For that conviction, I have my parents to thank.
My parents are not very well-off but our home rings with peals of laughter and overflows with love.
The love from my parents has left an indelible mark on my sister and me. So have we on them, I hope. I know they take immeasurable pride and joy in seeing my sister and me as we are now, both graduates and holding stable jobs.
I recall a poignant occasion when I scored straight As in school and excitedly called home. I later received a text message from my dad telling me he was proud to have been chosen to be my parent.
My mum stayed at home with me till I was six.
I know some of my peers see having a family - let alone a big one - as entailing career sacrifices.
But not I. To me, what could be a greater and more fulfilling career than motherhood? I'll gladly put my career on pause if need be.
It is not that I have no ambition; it's just that I recognise the joys of parenthood and see them as intangibles that can't be quantified.
Having said that, I believe more can be done for stay-at-home mums. I agree with what a
tertiary-educated stay-at-home mum said in a letter to The Straits Times' Forum.
Her husband won't get the same tax incentives as working mums even though he is the breadwinner.
More opportunities could be created for educated homemakers to re-enter the workforce, she added.
My own suggestion is: Consider providing stay-at-home mums with subsidies for enrolling in courses or a second part-time degree - helpful when re-entering the workforce.
True, I'm 21 and still young.
But as I ponder about a family of my own in the future, why not quadruple the fun all round?
The writer, a Singapore Press Holdings scholar, is pursuing a postgraduate degree in Global Governance and Diplomacy at Oxford University.

Wah seh! Non-stop blitz! This one is from a 19-Yr-old running dog!

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Aug 24, 2008
special report: babies
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Why I want to have lots of children
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Gabriel Yue
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I'm only 19 and I know that what I say below can and will be used against me, but here goes.
I want to have lots of children - at least four.
I am an only child but I grew up in an extended family of more than 20 cousins. I miss those days.
There was never a dull moment - well, at least not on Friday evenings. That was when every clan member headed towards my grandmother's house for dinner. Lonely me looked forward to Fridays and having a heck of a time with my cousins.
I see that the Baby Bonus scheme is back in the news and the rewards are now more attractive. By the time I find the right girl, I'll be ready to 'procreate'.
But here's my take.
I think the Government should not have to pay couples to have children. Instead of offering carrots to bait and cajole us, tell it as it is. The fewer children we have, the more foreigners will be encouraged to settle here. That awareness should be a fillip for citizens to have many children.
Singaporeans have to procreate without prompting and be responsible for the fate and direction of the nation. Immigrants are, of course, welcome but the critical numbers must come from us. Monetary benefits are certainly helpful in times of rising costs, but they should not be the reason for conceiving.
I would feel so used, and hurt, if my parents told me the key reason I was born was that I was a freebie that came with some money and mandatory leave. When I have kids of my own, I am not expecting much help from the Government.
It's a family tradition. My maternal grandparents raised eight children without any government help. My paternal grandparents had four.
The biggest reason I want to have a brood of kids is that I do not want the family name to end with me. To me, that's unthinkable. More children will better ensure the survival of the surname.
Yes, friends who come from big families tell me it is a big commitment. But I think that is the point of having children. It's an affirmation you do not need someone to look after you anymore. You are ready to look after someone else, and I can't wait for the day I can do that.
Meanwhile, I hope that there is a girl out there who shares my dreams. With my cousins all grown up, I miss the rowdy Friday gatherings we used to have. With my own brood of kids, I will make my own special Friday evenings happen, every day.
[email protected]
The writer, a student at Nanyang Polytechnic pursuing a Diploma in Media Studies and Management, is doing an internship with The Sunday Times.

What if the malays over populated Singapore? Is that what the PAP wants?