Do fathers in Singapore get a bad reputation for being hands-off?
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah, who chairs the new Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup, drew some flak for speaking about career “detours” as something that should be normalised for mothers – with little mention of a father’s role in the parenting journey.
Why do we frame the parenting experience as mainly a woman’s role?
In this episode of the podcast, I put that question to two fathers: new stay-at-home dad Jeggan Rajendram and Mr Kevin Goh, group head of engagement and programmes at the Centre for Fathering.
We discuss whom dads benchmark themselves against and whether mothers are preventing fathers from being more hands-on.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:05 Are fathers missing from the parenting conversation?
3:30 “Regret minimisation”: Jeggan’s decision to be a stay-at-home dad
7:10 “People still look at me like I was crazy.”
11:27 Mums get a “head start” on parenting
15:08 What’s holding fathers back from being more hands-on?
17:20 Mums, please involve dads, and let go
21:20 Whose standard is the right one?
24:05 The loss of identity as a stay-at-home parent
30:30 Being the stay-at-home parent doesn’t have to be forever
33:27 Encouraging dads to be more active parents
37:11 When dad’s your personal hairstylist
40:08 Will we have more babies if dads and mums are equals?
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Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by: Eden Soh and Hadyu Rahim
Executive producer: Danson Cheong
Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah and Elizabeth Law
Assistant producer: Stacey Ngiam
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