People always try to do what is best for their children. Good children are a result of good parenting, is what people often say. However, people have always struggled to raise children and have also tried hard to understand what makes a good parent. In Singapore, it is true that raising children has become increasingly difficult because of technology and also because more parents are working longer hours.
People who believe that raising children today is easier, often argue that parents today have a lot of assistance. It is especially true in Singapore, where the government has come up with various policies that help people in their journey of parenthood. Earlier, parents were supposed to take care of their children’s need by working extra hours or working on weekends. They did not get assistance for raising good children. However today, government policies assist parents the moment a child is born. These policies include cash bonuses¸ medical benefits in case the child or the mother gets sick and even benefits on library and basic transportation benefits. The Singapore Government offers all these grants and policies to ensure that parents raise good and healthy children. Being assisted financially for children’s education or healthcare has helped parents significantly. Based on this factor, one can agree that parenting today is easier than earlier times, at least in terms of needs like education and healthcare.
With the advent of technology parents, today get enough guidance through various websites, blogs and columns on multiple aspects of parenting. Parents today can discuss whatever bothers them with other parents on parental forums and Facebook pages. Parents often follow these websites to seek answers about their children’s well-being. In Singapore, these websites do not disappoint, either. For example, websites like smartparents.sg guides parents on aspects like the health of the child, their education, suggestions about schools and activities, and also on aspects like their diet and nutrition. Similarly, the Kiasu Parents website is like a social media platform for parents. On this website, parents can interact with other parents and get parental advice on educational and enrichment programmes. These websites include tips from experts in the field of child psychology and early childhood care. Parents can follow advice on these websites, blogs and forums to become a good enough parent for their child. Thus, technologically, people are more equipped to become a good parent than in the past, where parents relied on advice from their parents or friends.
Despite all these advantages, parents today increasingly face difficulties in raising their children. With economic development and growth, Singaporeans are working more than 45 hours a week. Working long hours in Singapore has been a time-honoured tradition and the work obligation does not allow parents to spend enough time with their children. Even on weekends, parents are occupied with household chores and office work. So, while they may be physically present, they are mentally absent and technology can be blamed for this disconnect between parents and children. Parents also have a tendency to reply to work emails and go through work-related documents while at the dinner table. It is thus evident that the availability of smartphones and tablets have disrupted the work-life balance and have made life harder for parents and children. Thus, good parenting in Singapore is more challenging today than ever before parents are struggling with work and home.
Mass media is another reason, why parents are struggling to raise good children. The media today has penetrated every corner of our lives. Media today comes in forms of mobiles, laptops, television or newspapers. Parents today are using media to parent their children; this is evident from the fact that children from a very young age are given phones. By giving children access to phones and tablets at a very young age parents make an attempt to distract them and keep them busy. However, unbeknownst to them it has a severe impact on the parent-child relationship. Parents who allow children to use video streaming channels like Youtube, do not realise that the autoplay function may play related or unrelated videos which may have a negative effect on the children. For older kids, inappropriate content, violence and substance abuse are promoted repetitively in the mass media. Though these ideas might not be what the parents believe in they come at blame for allowing children to use these technologies. Therefore, good parenting today is more difficult due to media which threatens the well-being of children and exposes them to wrong ideas.
With changing times, the definition of good parents has changed significantly. While parents in the past had the liberty to take a more relaxed approach towards parenting. Parents today do not have that liberty. Today being a good parent means not only to be involved in academics but also take care of the activities they take up at school, hobbies they pursue and also their playtime. While parents today have access to various websites and blogs, which have assisted them. These same websites and blogs have also led to severe confusion in parents who get different views on various websites. In Singapore, this has led parents to become more competitive and has led them to enrol their children in various enrichment classes. Thus, with the bar set so high, parents are expected to wear multiple hats and raise their kids. Hence, it is evident that raising children is very difficult today in present times.
In conclusion, the concept of good parenting has completely been redefined in present times. With access to Mass media in various forms and Long working hours, parents today have lesser time to spend with their children. Though the government has assisted parents by providing them grants and bonuses for raising children. It cannot be denied that good parenting is still very difficult in Singapore.