Having a SAHM at home, I can appreciate the sacrifices that my wife made to stay at home with Caeden (though we're still not sure how much he appreciates it).
Frankly, raising a family, at least a middle-class one is not easy in Singapore. Sacrifices were made and budgeting was done on a need rather than a want basis (though I sometimes make exceptions). "Struggling in SIN" instead of "Living the Singapore Dream" is often the catchphrase of the day.
But watching him grow up is something that we would not want to miss. My mom was a SAHM-equivalent (aka housewife) when my sis and I were growing up and we did appreciate (abeit grudgingly) the discipline and love that she'd showered on us. She's moved on to teaching in kindergarten when we were older and is now raising another generation (including her grandsons).
Back to the topic - why I said SAHMs had been a glaring omission.
Taking the metaphor of a bee-hive, which bee is of the greatest importance - the worker, the queen or the males?
The workers that fend off attacks, collect honey, tend the young, the queen that lays the eggs or the males that fertilise the next generation?
I'd say it's all three - each playing their vital role in the hive. Without the queen, there'd be no eggs for the next generation (the labourers labour in vain). Without the workers, the queen will not get food to produce the eggs. Without the males, there would not be opportunity for the bee species to obtain genetic diversity to ensure its long-term sustainability.
Likewise, if the emphasis is overly placed on the Singapore "worker bee", would the "queen bee" die out altogether? Or have we been outsourcing the "queen bee" function already?
So which role do you play or want to play?
