Kids In Rental Flats: How Does Living In Small Spaces Really Affect Children? | Talking Point

Great coverage munah

Helping at home is super normal and teaches you to be responsible for your space. It’s not a bad thing!

My worst experience living in a small flat was having to hear my parents’ quarreling!

That is nothing compared to live with homeless parents. At least they stay under a roof. I know it is hard to share space with people but you gotta be grateful.

at the end of the day, it is not the environment that matters. It all boils down to money / resources. This is the reason why they are in the environment. I think over the years govt have come out with creative ways to help the citizens to up skill and up pay. Example WSG and my skill future. These are good moves. Of course, there are definitely plenty of room for improvement. Singapore is a nation where the only resources is the citizens, it is wise to make sure their citizens have a future. Cos their future is the future of the nation. Hopefully, no one is left behind.

I was on the verge of tearing watching this documentary esp when the test results portion. Living in Malaysia with lots of space and raising 3 well adjusted kids, I empathise with the families especially the kids. I have lived in Singapore, in 3 HDB estates for many years, and I can especially appreciate their challenges.

Under Trudeau we will be living like soviets in the 1960

27th February 2023

try visit hk

Singaporean kids would out score the average US child. I am sad Wardina is treated as a second adult from a young age, she needs more support for her future.

Sad to see children in unfavourable environments. Life is never fair and equal. The children cannot choose their parents or families by birth. They have to make out the best they could with their limited resources. They have to learn to cope with their plights. Hope these hurdles can shape them into strong and useful persons.

Tbh 2 rooms without clutter could be not too bad. Mostly the situtaion looks depressing because the home is full of clutter.

Eyesight. I found that the majority of my friends from the country aren't wearing glasses while almost every city kids are wearing it

Resonate with the experience from some of the commenters here. I stayed in a 2-room rental flat with my parents until my late 20s. When I'm in pri sch, it doesn't feel that much difference from others. Besides, my classmates some of them are also staying in rental flats.

When I am old enough to be aware, I do feel that this sets me behind in life. I survived my poly via bursaries and part time jobs. For my uni, I really needed a bank loan. My relatives refused to be my guarantor, citing that if you have no money you just shouldn't study. In the end, my coach manager and a few classmates became my guarantor so I can attend uni.

My parents blamed me for having a "higher salary" when I started working because the HDB rental increased (it went from $100 per month to $1,300) and we are forced by HDB to apply for BTO. I wanted to look for a legal way for my parents to disown me. We were arguing everyday so I rent my own room outside for the time being until the BTO is ready. I also hated the fact that I'm forced to commit to such a huge finance responsibility in my 20s due to them not having a proper planning in the past. (Speaking to the MP didn't help at all)

Compared to my other peers where they are able to save up more to get a place they can truly call their own, I had to save up and struggle much more to own a house with my parents where I pay for everything and live like a tenant. Imagine wanting to settle down in future, you are no-longer a first-timer when it comes to applying for house. Also with the little pay, I'm getting I could only afford 3 room BTO at that time, it's much harder to upgrade to a bigger flat to have more space to call my own. My room is literally my bedroom, study space and living room.

The good thing is, all these made me stronger. I don't want to fall back even further so I try to work harder. It's stressful but I feel a lot more financially aware, and try to avoid any unnecessary form of debts/ loans. Hope that the Equal Dreams can help more children in similar situation who really wants to study to push on! It'll really change their lives in future. Good initiative!

Doing chores is totally normal for teenagers! They need to learn to help out and teaches them real life.

As a child of an impoverished family living in a small rental room where 4 of us slept and we had to share living and kitchen with other tenants, me and my brother grew up without much of a childhood and looking back, perhaps dysfunctional due to the financial stress and anxiety we faced. I walked out of poverty thanks to education and got through to university. Life became much better since and I have my own home now but there is always the insecurity and my past does haunt me at times impacting my self-esteem and emotional state.

You cna are condemning us living in rental home its a home go and investigate how many children teenagers suffer in Bangalore big hdb houses.

I stayed in rental home for a very long time you people are great stupid media is very boringly

Sounds like its not about where they live but how much money their family has

Govt said you don need to live in a bigger space in sg ; coz u only go home sleep. But thats when kids might develop claustrophobia and refused to go home after school & mix wd bad company..this can affect their whole life

I grew up in a small apartment. I'm 19 and I am yet to have my own room. I don't feel weird or anything.
Yes, my friends have their own rooms. They don't mind either.
I never knew this was a problem.
Leave it to some people to make a big deal of it.

When I was 6 I look after myself and 10 siblings with my sister 👧.
Give tuitions to younger sisters and brothers. Bringing them to schools, then I go home to do homework, going afternoon schools 🏫. After schools, go preparations for dinner daily routines, giving tuitions and self study homework’s at 5am to study for exams from Pr.1-6!
Sec 1-4 , schools locations is far 1hour travel 🧭 and
My toys is kettle, pots and pan pantry and cooking domestic work subjects . Fishes dishes .
Assistant to sick mother .

Going university isn’t easy for me, so I’m going to SAF electronics TRAINING. Esmb fortcanning campus and Portsmouth campus and Ayer Rajah camps.
Graduation as electronic specialist and undergoing polytechnic in Prince Edwards Rd night class 6-9 pm
So during this 6 years often in camps and polytechnic students . I did not play domestic work. Eat outsider’s foods. After age 25 graduate student 👨‍🎓 I was assigned to work in USA 🇺🇸 as engineer and extended 6 more years to senior years in engineering works. I 😅tired of 30 years engineering work, I think 🤔 it’s time to go property investment “😢management in ERA about 5000 training course including CEHA “
From property investments then realistic 6 figures . From sale/ rent jobs very stressful and hardworking agent to directors is aggressively hard for simple minded engineers 🧑‍💻
I realised little benefits as a solder , little increase meant low base salary in Singapore 🇸🇬 with 1.8k compare to 4.8k inflationary wage. Shamefully I think 🤔 compare to 75k pa usd army salary

How about HDB flats? Are they not eligible for HDB flats?

I have only watch Singapore tv channels,why cna is not very interested in Singapore ask questions how they do it with foreign.

Personally I feel that Equal Dreams should be under supervision by ministry of education and social department. After all this is like a boarding school where kids are separated from parents for 5 days a week. Their mental health should be monitored by social workers or ministry of health teachers . These are vulnerable kids.

I'm happy for munah new career

stanley is an angel

When you can this poverty... My god..... These rental flats are soooooo beautiful!

Most of us are struggling now due to increased in everything except for our salary

These flats don’t look bad. It’s more important to teach your kids gratitude daily. Most home in other parts of the world are much worse.

I will input my views as I have spent 13 years in a two-room HDB rental flat with my mother and niece. My mother got divorced and she was only working part time back then. I was still a student and my niece was a baby. My mother had to wait for 31 mths (or was it 32?) after she received her divorce settlement before she can apply for HDB rental. We went to meet the MP session every so often to seek help. Their validation is we have money from the selling off of our HDB flat due to divorce. But what they dont understand is the amt is not enough for my mother to buy a flat at the time. She was working part time and I was a student. So we scrapped by living with relatives and no matter how close you are with your relatives... Eventually it will cause rifts and problems. It was harsh and I will rmbr until the day I die. I learnt the realities of life. I know the struggle. I fought through the pain. Never give up to improve your life. Dont let pple who look down on you to dictate your future. Kids, never quit your studies. Study hard, get a good job so you can Improve your family's situation. I am now married and bought a 5 room resale flat. My mom and niece stays with me and we have all the space we dreamed off. I never forget my struggles and do volunteer work whenever i can to help our society.

Interesting watch. I'm American and grew up crammed into three bedroom trailers (which sounds like a lot but the bedrooms were basically closets) with my parents and 9 siblings. I could relate to so much of this even though it's halfway around the world. It takes such a toll on your whole existence. I'm 40 and I'm still trying to work out how to live a normal life and sometimes I don't do so well. I hope the best for these kids.

might as well have lived in the projects

Why are billions spent on helping CECAs and no help is given to Singaporeans???

Host living is worst compared to rent flat.. rent flat have more space

Singaporeans are better off than homeless in America and Europe. The problem is they like cpmplain.

Hmm i can not understand why parents dont sleep in the living rool and let the kid/s have the bedroom/s. We always did this , we chose to bring them into this world and therefor the are number 1 in needs. Also 2 parents 1kid. Where s the problem. Be minimalistic and only have what u reallyneed and the place would look like holiday apartment.....😮

Wunderbar Equal Dreams

Children needs to stay in school hostel for better results.

As someone who grew up in the slums in Manila, their living conditions are enviable. What a luxury. They should feel blessed they have a government who is able to offer up some assistance to take care of them.

The problem is not small space. The problem is financial/stress. I bet there's a lot of shouting due to financial stresses.

I am sorry to say this but they aren't taking things the right way.. mostly the parents fault unless they have medical issue. There are temp staff in my company working $13 per hour, this type of temp jobs will easily solve their "low income" issue for the time being. There are so many such jobs available in our community which are still facing problems in recruitment. The age of the temp in my company range from 19 to 63 years old...

PS: income issue? why is one of the family having so many cats!

Hey all. Just wondering about the impact of the “diagnoses” being spotlighted through this series. While consent has probably been sought through the parents, I’m wondering if the possible impact has been discussed with the kids on the documentary. Im just concerned about whether other classmates may mis-use these information. Love the documentary but I was just wondering !

They should do the study on children living in other living accommodation as well for a more accurate assessment. There's no comparison that can be made here and therefore no conclusion.

I myself lived in a small flat and had to take care of my younger brother since I was 12, so I'm genuinely interested to know what are the differences between me and other children.

i hope there would be more =dreams to be established in the near future. Wish all the kids have a fair chance to achieve their dreams. Thank you.

Thats why pity the singaporean. Its a develop country but wealth not properly distributed.

I love the idea of how the officials create the after school program for kids who live in small space.