S1E1: Having babies: Natural next step after marriage or thank you, next?

Our guests discuss if parenthood is an expectation or choice.

Synopsis: The Straits Times’ Natasha Ann Zachariah explores contemporary societal choices and youth perspectives and digs deeper into issues of the day.

In Singapore, where preliminary estimates indicate its Total Fertility Rate hit a record low of 0.97 in 2023, some are opting to remain child-free.

In the first episode of our new podcast series, The Usual Place’s host Natasha Ann Zachariah brings together two guests who hold opposing views on being parents.

Joan Chong, 35, never wants kids. She never yearned for them before she got married, and flat out told her partner when they started dating, that she did not want to be a parent.

Meanwhile, Dainial Lim is a passionate voice in favour of embracing the joys of parenthood. To him, having children is a natural path in life after getting married, and it would have been a relationship dealbreaker for him if his wife was not for it.

They sit down with Natasha to dissect their personal choices in a candid and unfiltered conversation. What unfolds is a discussion about their choices and dissecting the misconceptions that come with it.

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:56 Is it still taboo to say you want to be childfree

6:48 Do women still bear the burden of raising children?

9:44 Joan’s realities of being childfree

14:31 The scary part about having children

17:16 How kids changed Dainial’s life

23:05 Does Joan feel left out for not receiving government incentives?

25:17 Are Singaporean parents entitled?

31:25 If anyone’s on the fence about having children, what would Joan and Dainial tell them?

DM Natasha your thoughts on this topic at her IG: https://str.sg/8Wav

Watch the video version of this episode: https://str.sg/nZDz

Produced by: Natasha Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Lynda Hong and Studio+65

Edited by: Teo Tong Kai & Eden Soh

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