Are stay-at-home mums and trad wives becoming more common in Singapore? Redditors weigh in

SINGAPORE: In a recent post, a local Reddit user asked if more women in Singapore are opting to be stay-at-home wives or girlfriends instead of pursuing careers, after she had seen the trend online.

On r/askSingapore, the post author wrote on July 9 that while she found the trend backwards and would never follow it, she “recently saw many SG girls both in my circles and online very supportive of the trend, which honestly shocked me a little.”

She added that she’s seen women who expect their partners, who earn just a median income, to buy them Louis Vuitton bags, pay for weddings at Marriott, and buy them a continental car “in this economy on a single income while they stay at home. Is it really a common thing here?”

There is no statistical evidence to show that in Singapore there are fewer working women and more who choose to stay home, although, as the post author pointed out, there certainly is tradwife content online, especially on TikTok—a trend that started in the United States and appears to be spreading to other countries, including Singapore.

On the contrary, it was the growing number of stay-at-home fathers that recently made the news.

Several factors contribute to the large percentage of working women in Singapore, including high educational attainment and policies that encourage workforce participation. Also, CPF retirement savings, which accumulate mainly through employment, are another incentive for women to work.

Additionally, the large number of migrant domestic workers means that wives and mothers can delegate the bulk of household chores to helpers.

The biggest reason for women to keep on working would arguably be Singapore’s high cost of living, which makes it more difficult for single-income families to deal with expenses.

One commenter on the Reddit thread wrote, however, that stay-at-home mums have “always been part of the Chinese culture (and possibly other cultures). Husband goes out and works, wife stays at home to manage the family finances and household. I know a few guys who do it, and honestly, nothing wrong with it as long as both parties are fine with the arrangement.”

“A few of my Chinese colleagues’ wives resigned from their jobs after marriage. They have no kids. They just lounge at home, watch TV and swipe XHS. Blows my mind each time I hear of this,” another agreed.

Some commenters who know or who are women who choose to stay home said they are hardly the luxurious type.

“I know quite a few colleagues whose wife is SAHM, and they have 2-3 kids. (They are in their late 30s). They live rather normal lives though: 4-room HDB, vacation once a year to somewhere nearby, no car,” wrote one.

“I’m a SAHM of 2 kids (9 and 5 years old), no car, going overseas holiday isn’t a ‘must’, paid off HDB housing loan, we’re both in our late 30s. Quietly enjoying our luxurious life. Very normal, quietly luxurious with zero debt,” added another. 

“For affluent families, it’s fairly common. For regular peasant folks like us, the only common scenario I can think of is when you have kids. Personally, my wife took a career break to take care of my baby until the little one is old enough to go to playgroup. Thankfully, financially we can make it on a single income but live within our means frugally as much as possible (I.e. no long-distance holidays, fewer restaurants, more Saizeriya),” added a third. /TISG

Read also: Number of stay-at-home fathers in Singapore rises by nearly 60% in three years