Mother's Day Special: How 5 Amazing Singaporean Mummies Overcome The Challenges They Face, When Raising Their Children

(Every day is) Mother’s Day!

“It would be nice if the house magically got cleaned and dinner magically cooked.” – Every other mother’s wish this Mother’s Day

Parenting was never an easy task to start with. In the face of Singapore’s rising cost of living and having to balance parenting and career, meet the superheroes who don’t wear capes this Mother’s Day.

In this article, we find out how 5 amazing Singaporean mummies overcome the challenges they faced – all in the name of building a family.

Editor’s Note: To all the mummies out there, have a Happy Mother’s Day!

Cherie Lim
Mummy of Jerome, Jerry and Leia Choo

How old were you when you decided to start a family?

30 years old

What are some financial difficulties you faced? Share with us your biggest obstacles and how you overcame them.

I think the difficulty has always been being unsure if there is enough money for everything – starting a matrimony home, having kids, living the lifestyle you desire, to bring up the kids and having enough for their educational funds given the rising cost of living.

And also, having enough for an unexpected or emergency situation. How much is actually enough? I first started forcing myself to save a chunk of my salary to pay for things shared by the family, then started saving for the kids.

I also seek out financial products to invest in and ensure the kids are financially protected. I don’t think it’s something that I would say I have overcome (don’t think money is ever enough) but I am constantly working on it to ensure there is at least some form of financial security.

What made you decide to start a family?

I always thought of it as a natural progression for couples after they are married for some time and kids are such a joy to have!

What is your greatest fear when it comes to your family?

Leaving the kids unexpectedly and not being able to be there to see them grow up.

Any advice for other mothers-to-be?

Always have a sense of humour to tackle situations, and take one step, one tantrum, one obstacle, and one bad day at a time when the going gets tough.

Grit will always get you through situations and there will always be something to look forward to at the end of the tunnel.

Nicole
Mummy of Corwin

How old were you when you decided to start a family?

About the age of 23/24

What are some of the financial difficulties you faced? Biggest Obstacles and how you overcome them.

Starting a family early is not easy when we’re still young. Doctor fees and hospital bills are not cheap, thankfully our parents were supportive and helped us whenever we needed.

We also started to save more, no more shopping sprees and café hopping haha.

What made you decide to start a family?

Being happy with the right person.

What is your greatest fear when it comes to your family?

I guess the constant fear of most mothers out there will be not able to support my family and not bring up my kids well.

Any advice for other mothers-to-be?

It may be tough in the beginning, but it’s worth every smile you get in return.

Take it easy and don’t stress, just trust in yourself and do the best you can.

Natascha May
Mummy of Nahum

How old were you when you decided to start a family?

I was 32 when we found out that I was expecting, but it was not because we had decided to start a family. It was a pleasant surprise!

What are some financial difficulties you faced? Share with us your biggest obstacles and how you overcame them.

We didn’t have much savings. Most of our salary that came in would go out to bills and essentials. Hence, we could not imagine financially supporting an addition to our family.
We are grateful that just as our baby was arriving, I started a new job that paid slightly better, my hubby received a good bonus, and my Dad also helped with buying some of the baby furniture and necessities.

What made you decide to start a family?

We did not really make a decision to start a family.

We had been married for 3 years, and it seemed like a good time to do so, but we were still concerned about our finances and whether we had enough to welcome a baby.

At the beginning of 2017, my research group (where I had worked at for 7 years) received news that we were going to close down at the end of the year, and so I had to start looking for a new job. All the more, starting a family was nowhere near our thoughts.

I managed to secure a job in July 2017, and thankfully, the pay was going to be better. Maybe, we could save up for a few months, and start thinking about having a baby.

But we were in for a big surprise because we found out that I was expecting in August! We were blessed, and even though we still had to plan a budget and prepare (among many other things, finance wise), we felt so happy and grateful!

What is your greatest fear when it comes to your family?

One of my biggest fears for my loved ones is illness.

Firstly, I do not want them to be in pain or discomfort, having to be hospitalized or worst of all, losing them.

Secondly, I am also concerned about being financially capable for them to have the necessary treatments.

Any advice for other mothers-to-be?

Prepare as much as you can (financially, emotionally, logistically – hint: not too many packs of newborn-sized diapers, they grow out really fast!), but once your baby arrives, allow yourself to make changes and adapt to what you and your baby need.

Do not force yourself to stick to what you had planned or follow what everyone else does, as this could make you feel unhappy and stressed out. As long as your baby is not deprived of his basic needs, just do what suits you and your little one

Priscilla
Mummy of Junel and Justin Seet

How old were you when you decided to start a family?

I was 27 yrs old when I got married. But I met my husband when I was 19, a long time!

What are some financial difficulties you faced? Share with us your biggest obstacles and how you overcame them.

The first big financial difficulty we had was probably paying for the wedding dinner.

Honestly, I was young and “blur” so I didn’t worry so much. We used the wedding dinner “Angbao” money, forked out some money and our parents did too, so that was solved pretty quickly.

What made you decide to start a family?

Getting old. When it’s about time, I think people just want to get married!

What is your greatest fear when it comes to your family?

My greatest fear would be if my spouse dies or if I become out of a job. This would mean having to support our family alone, emotionally and financially.

Any advice for other mothers-to-be?

Save up the minute you start working, you want to be as financially secure as possible. Also, read up on a lot of things you need to know. About getting insurance, the kind of insurance to get, CPF and so on. Knowledge is powerful! You don’t want to just blindly follow what your colleagues or friends say.

Gelenda
Mother of Cherie

How old were you when you decided to start a family?

31 years old.

What are some financial difficulties you faced? Share with us your biggest obstacles and how you overcame them.

We cannot afford the downpayment of our house. Thankfully for parents helped us to alleviate the cost.
We were also unable to afford confinement, medical bills, baby powder and end up having to be frugal and start saving.

What made you decide to start a family?

Age.

I guess at some point in life, starting a family seems like a pretty normal thing.

What is your greatest fear when it comes to your family?

Having no money.

Any advice for other mothers-to-be?

Be frugal. Start saving early.

Technology is so advanced now, research is important. With a click of google search, you’ll be able to find out parenting tips 101. Unlike my times, we don’t have convenient access of the internet.
Make sure you’ve trusted family members to take care your baby with you.

I am thankful for my mother who took care of my kids when I go to work.