Jman888 Moderator May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 MCF members mostly quite pro family from some of the posts we see here. But spending 36 hours sounds like a lot, that is as good as 3 hrs/day (mean no need OT liao) and 10 hrs each on both weekend ! a quick poll to see the real feel from the people here. Long working hours keeping S’porean families apart: Survey BY TOH EE MING PUBLISHED: 4:15 AM, MAY 19, 2016 SINGAPORE — Office administrator Mrs L J Yong may sound like your mother. The 53-year-old lamented that she barely gets to see her children because they are away from home most of the time. They have quick morning exchanges that last no more than five minutes, and weekday dinners are “almost once in a blue moon”. Does this sound like your family? The Families for Life Council, which seeks to build strong families, revealed yesterday that in a recent survey, one in 10 of the 700 respondents spend six hours or fewer with their immediate families a week, and about half of the respondents spend over 36 hours a week (or about five hours daily) with immediate family members. For extended families, time together is even more rare: Half of the respondents spend two hours or fewer a week with this group. The survey was conducted between January and March this year and those interviewed were Singaporeans aged 20 to 69. It found that the main barriers keeping families from spending time together are long working hours (for half the respondents) and fellow family members working long hours (slightly more than a third). Other reasons cited for lack of family time included children being busy with school or their own activities, family members preferring to play computer games or watch television on their own or family members being overseas. For Mrs Yong, her son is serving National Service while her daughter works long hours as a production coordinator. The family tries to get together on weekends — Mr Yong whips up breakfast, and they stroll around parks, but even then, they have to remind their daughter to stop checking her email messages from work. Mrs Yong said she would like employers to create a company culture that encourages employees to leave work on time. About 92 per cent of those polled ranked family as their most important priority, ahead of health and financial stability. Family activities that are most popular with Singaporeans include having meals together, celebrating family occasions such as birthdays, or going on vacations together. Other activities were also mentioned, such as shopping, having group chats on the phone, or exercising together. Council chairman Ching Wei Hong highlighted how a work-centric culture, the “ubiquitous availability of social media”, and rising “distractions” from gadget use can derail family time. “If you want to go home and hide in the study room, and have a meal by yourself and not engage (with) the family, that’s a problem. “When raising my children, I would try to rush home to at least put them to bed or read them a story. Even if you’re tired, how about going for a short walk with your wife? (It’s about) making a conscious effort, and you have to plan and coordinate it.” Taxi driver C K Lek, 56, a former flight attendant, certainly plans for family time with his wife and 15-year-old son now. “I work from 6am to 4pm on weekdays ... fetch my son from school, and we have dinner together every day.” He said they have been building on this ritual and value of spending time together and they “like returning to a happy home”. Public relations executive Chitra Padmaja, 29, said that while she spends about one to two hours a day with her family, she tries to have dinner with her parents. “This is something the (younger generation) needs to work on ... Our parents are getting old and ... there’s an expiry date.” ↡ Advertisement 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lala81 Hypersonic May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 3 hrs a day is barely doable for someone who works a 9-5 job. How can... Anyway adults shouldn't be keeping kids up just to keep themselves company. Kids should ideally be asleep at most latest by 9+ They need their beauty sleep. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toothiewabbit Supersonic May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 If you including koon-ing time under 1 roof, its easily more than 36hours per week le 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Showster Twincharged May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 (edited) You can start a poll to see the feel. If include chauffeuring time, I think weekdays average about 5 to 5.5 hours a day, and weekends maybe about 20 hours combined. In total, about 45 hours. Excluding sleeping time. Work-life balance? MCF members mostly quite pro family from some of the posts we see here. But spending 36 hours sounds like a lot, that is as good as 3 hrs/day (mean no need OT liao) and 10 hrs each on both weekend ! a quick poll to see the real feel from the people here. Edited May 19, 2016 by Showster Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mustank Hypersonic May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 can always reject the promotion 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sosaria Turbocharged May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 (edited) This is a very poorly done and poorly controlled survey. Obviously doesn't include sleeping time, but as pointed out, it really depends on what time the family goes to bed, doesn't it? And to blame long working hours is too simplistic. As children grow up into their teens, their school and social activities will keep them out longer. So there are myriad factors that come into play, depending on age groups. Nonetheless it's true that though family members may be physically together but each one glued to his/her own mobile device. As for weekdays, the kids may be home, but from my own experience, they will most of the time be occupied with their school work, getting ready for the next school day, etc. Edited May 19, 2016 by Sosaria 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Showster Twincharged May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 Morning preparations and chauffeuring from 0600-0730. Evening starts from typically from 5 or 5.30pm and ends about 9pm. We don't turn on TV during weekdays at all, hardly any gadgets as well. 3 hrs a day is barely doable for someone who works a 9-5 job. How can... Anyway adults shouldn't be keeping kids up just to keep themselves company. Kids should ideally be asleep at most latest by 9+ They need their beauty sleep. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lala81 Hypersonic May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 This is a very poorly done and poorly controlled survey. Obviously doesn't include sleeping time, but as pointed out, it really depends on what time the family goes to bed, doesn't it? And to blame long working hours is too simplistic. As children grow up into their teens, their school and social activities will keep them out longer. So there are myriad factors that come into play, depending on age groups. Nonetheless it's true that though family members may be physically together but each one glued to his/her own mobile device. I'm also trying to learn to ignore my HP when I'm with the kids Morning preparations and chauffeuring from 0600-0730. Evening starts from typically from 5 or 5.30pm and ends about 9pm. We don't turn on TV during weekdays at all, hardly any gadgets as well. I'm at work most of the time, so my wife is the frontline. Even when I'm home, i also need to cook, do other household stuff, so face to face time also reduced. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nzy Twincharged May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 (edited) 36hrs quite Ok for me. If the time spent includes preparing them for school. Cuz I spend about 1hr a day in the morning preparing breakfast with my wife and kids, then we eat and prepare them for school. At night I spend 1hr with my children coaching them on their homework and piano. After that another 1hr talking and playing with them before bed. So thats around 3hrs a day. Weekends are family days so usually wake up at 7am, go for breakfast and we'll go for outings together till about 4pm, rest then go for dinner plus play/interact with my kids till their bed time. Weekends easily 12hrs with them a day. Now that my kids are young, I try to do everything with them as a family. I don't plan outings over the weekend that only me and my wife can enjoy. This way, we get to spend more time as a family. Although, me and my wife do miss going out together as a couple. But we are still young and we know when our kids become teenagers, we will have alot of time as a couple cuz our kids are likely to want to have time for themselves also. Edited May 19, 2016 by Nzy 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sosaria Turbocharged May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 Morning preparations and chauffeuring from 0600-0730. Evening starts from typically from 5 or 5.30pm and ends about 9pm. We don't turn on TV during weekdays at all, hardly any gadgets as well. Yup, my family doesn't have the TV watching habit as well. The cable tv subscription is wasted... just to get the broadband internet 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watwheels Supersonic May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 Coz aging population setting in the authorities scared some elderly parents are not properly being taken care and might be neglected by their children. The govt wants everything. Want us to work hard, want us to bond with family, want couples to have more children, want so many things but is it possible? Want us to have more children but build such tiny flats. Maybe they want us to be closer in a literal sense. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Showster Twincharged May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 My wife will do everything else rather than face the kids. So her time reported will be different. My kids wake up to find me and fall sleep with me telling them bedtime stories about make-believe stories. One day I will miss this. Ha... I'm also trying to learn to ignore my HP when I'm with the kids I'm at work most of the time, so my wife is the frontline. Even when I'm home, i also need to cook, do other household stuff, so face to face time also reduced. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman888 Moderator May 19, 2016 Author Share May 19, 2016 You can start a poll to see the feel. If include chauffeuring time, I think weekdays average about 5 to 5.5 hours a day, and weekends maybe about 20 hours combined. In total, about 45 hours. Excluding sleeping time. Work-life balance? i tried but i can't get the poll up, paiseh to be a mod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Showster Twincharged May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 If you have a big heart, no matter how small a place you live in, your children will grow up thinking of the world as a generous one. Want us to have more children but build such tiny flats. Maybe they want us to be closer in a literal sense. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaiyotakamli Supersonic May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 Try to book more overseas holiday to spend time together 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lala81 Hypersonic May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 i tried but i can't get the poll up, paiseh to be a mod haha nevermind lah. few years time, there will be another exact same survey saying the same thing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toothiewabbit Supersonic May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 can always reject the promotion For some, no promotion oso work like dog still. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watwheels Supersonic May 19, 2016 Share May 19, 2016 If you have a big heart, no matter how small a place you live in, your children will grow up thinking of the world as a generous one. I'm not that imaginative. I believe everyone needs their personal space after bonding. Especially when the children grows up. ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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