The many maids silently living in their employers’ homes are what really keep this country going. If all the maids suddenly went back to their countries, who would feed us, clean our houses, or take care of our kids?
Your world might have almost come crumbling down when you had to work from home and be in the presence of your kids every waking moment. What would you do if that was your reality covid or not? Unimaginable!
Here are four reasons Singaporeans have become so reliant on maids and are going ballistic over the news.
Many lack the necessary skills to cook for themselves
People often blame Singaporeans’ reliance on maids on laziness, or being spoiled and pampered.
But for an increasing number of households, that isn’t the only reason. The sad fact is that many Singaporeans simply lack the skills to cook and clean for themselves. Let’s be honest, the home economic classes at school didn’t do much for anyone.
While singles or couples without children can usually get away with just eating out every day, when children enter the picture it is usually necessary to employ a maid not just for the childcare but also so there’ll be someone cooking for the entire family.
Many young Singaporean millennials grew up being fed by maids (or McDonalds) and thus never had a parent or grandparent to show them the ropes in the kitchen. And thus the cycle repeats itself.
Or even when one does know how to cook and clean, who has the energy for it after a long work day?
Long hours at work
It’s no secret that Singaporeans work some of the longest hours in the world. Sure, there are people who actually get to leave at 6pm, but it is also not uncommon to regularly be at the office until 9pm or 10pm, or to take work home and continue plugging away after the kids have gone to bed.
For those who work very long hours, that leaves little time to cook, clean and pick up the kids from childcare. For those who don’t have parents or in-laws who are willing to do all of the above, maids are the only affordable substitute.
The first time Singaporean couples employ a maid is usually after they have their first child. Considering the high cost of childcare and the fact that it’s pretty much impossible to pick your kid up at the end of the day if your boss expects you to stick around the office until long after it gets dark, and many couples simply don’t have any other choice.
Inadequate eldercare options
Many Singaporeans rely on their maids to look after their elderly parents, never mind the fact that they are not trained to look after people with disabilities or mobility issues. These people do not want to put their elderly parents in old age homes, yet are unable to afford the cost of hiring a eldercare specialist or nurse to help out in the home.