Episode 2: Matchmaking, baby births, child raising

The first segment covers how Singaporeans find a life partner. In the old days, when men and women rarely interacted, matchmakers, who were usually the town gossip, would pair couples together. When television was introduced, men and women discovered new ideas, and in the 1960s, almost all couples married for love, with the "old fogies" being matchmade. Today, as Singaporeans become busier and have less time for socialising, matchmaking has become popular again, through dating agencies, both public (Social Development Unit) and private (e.g. Lunch Actually). The difference is that these agencies do not blatantly state that their clients should get married, though that is still the ideal end-result.


The next segment talks about how Singapore's baby policy has affected the country. After independence, the average family had about five to six children. The government was worried that with such a booming population, the small country would not have the resources to care for its people, e.g. in providing quality education and healthcare. So the government started its "Stop At Two" policy. But with more women getting better education and higher paying jobs, couples were marrying later and having children even later, if at all. Singapore's population growth plummeted and now the government encourages couples to have "three or more, if you can afford it". However, couples are still unwilling to sacrifice their lives to look after children, who will become their "time managers".

Families that do have children have found new ways to look after them, as the last segment shows. In the old days, when families were large and lived close by, children would play with one another while being under the watchful eye of a relative or neighbour. Today, with both parents working and families more isolated, grandparents have taken over the role of looking after the children. In addition, a new phenomenon has arisen: day care centres and preschools are becoming popular as places for young children to learn to socialise while getting a proper education before starting formal school.