‘SG young people, do you hate kids?’ — HDB flat resident asks after children upstairs drove him ‘nuts as they kept stomping like untamed animals whole day!’

SINGAPOREAN: Singaporeans are known for their food, efficiency… and occasionally, their low tolerance for noise. But when one HDB resident took to Reddit to ask: “Do young Singaporeans hate kids?” — the comment section lit up like a toddler’s birthday cake.

The post came from a 30-something working from home, clearly at his wits’ end: “I don’t like kids either… The kid incident that drove me nuts was when my upstairs neighbour’s children kept making noise the whole day.”

His gripe was that the soundscape of his home transformed into a thunderous stampede: “They were stomping like untamed animals!”

While his question may have sounded harsh — “hate” is a strong word, after all — what followed was an outpouring of real talk from equally overstimulated Singaporeans.

“Disruptive kids are the result of bad parenting…”

Commenters were quick to point out that the problem isn’t necessarily the children, but rather the absence of responsible parenting that allows mayhem to run loose.

“Noisy, uncontrollable, and disruptive kids are the result of bad or absent parenting,” wrote one.

One Singaporean shared a horror story from a high-end Chinese restaurant at Paragon, where a child shrieked for 1.5 hours as the parents calmly ignored both the wailing and the icy death stares of fellow diners.

“The entire restaurant could hear the shrieking… totally spoilt my dining experience with my grandma,” he said. And the parents only took action after staff intervened.

Singaporean vs Japanese parenting

Some Singaporeans drew comparisons between Singaporean parenting and Japanese-style discipline.

“Japanese parents actually know shame… They’ll remove the child from public spaces immediately when there’s a tantrum. In Singapore, absolutely not,” one wrote. He then explained that in Japan, the idea of avoiding meiwaku (causing trouble to others) is deeply ingrained.

A society divided… or just tired?

Some were more sympathetic to the tiny terrors, calling out a bigger issue — a society becoming increasingly intolerant, impatient, and individualistic.

“People feel super entitled to their peace and quiet. Every society has kids. Kids will always make a ruckus. It’s been true since forever.”

Another parent offered this sobering take: “Sometimes I feel Singapore is not welcoming to kids. I try to limit the places my kids go because people are so easily ‘disturbed’ by normal noise.”

They also pointed out that today’s kids are growing up emotionally stunted due to constant screen exposure — a “solution” many parents resort to just to avoid public judgment.

“I don’t ‘hate’ kids per se…”

One Singaporean summarised it up like a philosopher in a kopitiam: “I don’t ‘hate’ kids per se, and Singapore will seem jaded without them running around. Maybe I should appreciate their liveliness?”

It’s a paradox that even child-free Singaporeans acknowledge. Singapore’s declining birthrate, ageing population, and rising cost of living have made raising kids a monumental task — emotionally, financially, and now socially.

And so, the debate rages on. Not just between parents and non-parents, but between two competing visions of public life: One that demands peace and order, and one that accepts the chaos of growing up — stomps, screams, and all.

After all, let’s not forget that we were all also stomping around like untamed animals once upon a time.

Read related: ‘Not having kids is the best financial/mental health decision anyone can take’ — Man says ‘parenthood isn’t compulsory’ just because everyone does it