Source: @wushihome on Instagram
A Singapore parent has welcomed the Government’s move to increase childcare leave, saying the move addresses concerns they had raised just a day earlier.
The concerns raised were about whether two days of childcare leave were enough for parents of primary school children.
On Sunday (23 Aug), the Original Poster (OP) @wushihome posted on Instagram, reacting to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s announcement at the National Day Rally that working parents will receive more childcare leave.
In the post, the OP recalled asking the day before: “How are two days of childcare leave enough?”
Source: @wushihome on Instagram
They had questioned whether the existing two-day entitlement “really reflects the reality of raising a primary school child”.
The OP also pointed to situations such as school closures and home-based learning (HBL) to justify their concerns.
“Not forgetting..no matter how many kids..is still two day CCL…how to divide equally?” they quoted one commenter as saying.
Source: Instagram
The parent then highlighted PM Wong’s remarks that older children still need their parents, although their needs may differ from those of younger ones.
They went on to describe the announcement as “a big step forward”, while stressing that they were not claiming their social media post had directly influenced the policy.
A netizen appreciated the timeliness of the post and wondered when the new measures will start.
Source: Instagram
An Instagram user thanked the OP for the post and joked that they needed to post more, as 10 days of childcare leave is still not enough with two children.
Source: Instagram
A commenter also said that it was “such good news for parents”.
Source: Instagram
Another netizen lamented that they wouldn’t benefit as their youngest is 12, to which the OP replied that the next conversation should be about caring for teenage children.
Source: Instagram
Speaking to MS News, the OP said they decided to post about the issue when her children came home one day and said: “Mummy, there’s no school.”
Upon checking, she realised that it was due to the PSLE oral examinations. As a result, her two children, who are in different levels, will be at home on two separate days.
Source: @wushihome on Instagram
“For our family that meant two separate days when I needed to arrange for them to be at home,” she explained.
To add to that, there are still HBL days, school closures, Youth Day, Teachers’ Day, Children’s Day and early dismissals to navigate.
“That was when it hit me. I only have two days of childcare leave for the whole year. Those two days could be gone just like that,” she said.
The OP had just posted about the two days of childcare leave, spent the day reading hundreds of comments from parents, and then, the very next day, the change was announced.
She knew it would already have been in the works, but the timing was unbelievable.
“My first reaction was honestly, ‘NO WAY. THE TIMING?!'” she said.
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Featured image adapted from @wushihome on Instagram.