The pace of life, transactional thinking, work pressures, caregiving load and mental health concerns all shape why fewer couples are choosing to have children today. Beneath Singapore’s low TFR lie deeper societal and cultural shifts that couples feel keenly within their marriages and family decisions.

June hosts married couple Ethan and Naomi Lim as they reflect on why starting a family in Singapore can feel increasingly daunting — and how couples can navigate these pressures together. Ethan, who works in the real estate industry, and Naomi, a mental health counsellor and co‑founder of Kindred Haven, share honest insights into how fast‑paced living, demanding work cultures and social expectations intensify the emotional load of parenting.

Beyond finances, they highlight invisible struggles such as caregiver guilt and the quiet fear of “not doing enough”. The conversation invites couples to reframe parenthood as deeply relational rather than purely practical, reminding us that no one parents well alone. When community and shared responsibility are present, the journey becomes lighter, kinder and more meaningful.

You can also listen to Ethan and Naomi as they share, "Should We Have Another Child?"

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Kindred Haven is a social impact venture that provides compassionate, evidence-informed support for parents from pregnancy through early parenthood.

Through workshops, community spaces, and therapeutic support, they create gentle, psychologically safe environments where parents can feel seen, supported, and less alone. Their approach is trauma-informed, relational, and inclusive of both mothers and fathers, holding space for the often unseen experiences of this season. www.Kindredhaven.org

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Build your early years of marriage with Connect2 Just Married! Designed to equip couples married for five years or less, this programme helps you learn key skills, clarify expectations, strengthen communication, and navigate differences and responsibilities with confidence. Grow a strong foundation and keep the romance alive as you journey together. Find out more at www.family.org.sg/C2justmarried.

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If you have enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review on Spotify, Apple Podcast or Podchaser. It'll be very helpful for others to find our podcast. You can also help us by copying this link www.family.org.sg/connect2podcast to share with your friends.

You can also support us by giving monthly. We appreciate your generous giving as every dollar helps to sustain our efforts in strengthening families. Please note that if you are based in Singapore, as a donor-supported charity with Institution of a Public Character status, all monthly and one-time donations of $50 and above, will qualify for 250% tax deduction.

Should we have another child? What does it really mean to step into parenthood as a couple?

In this episode, host June speaks with Ethan and Naomi Lim, parents of a young toddler, as they share their honest and reflective journey into having children.

They share candidly about entering parenthood amid uncertainty, including career changes and infertility. With a desire to support one another in their marriage, they reflect on the joy of seeing the world through their child’s eyes, alongside the exhaustion, loss of personal space, and emotional stretching that come with raising a child. Their conversation highlights how parenthood can deepen understanding between spouses, surface past wounds, and invite growth when navigated together.

If you and your spouse feel uncertain or misaligned about having children, hear Ethan and Naomi share practical insights on creating safe spaces for conversation, negotiating differing desires, and drawing support from mentors and community.

A thoughtful and compassionate listen for married couples considering whether—and when—to welcome children into their family.

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Build your early years of marriage with Connect2 Just Married! Designed to equip couples married for five years or less, this programme helps you learn key skills, clarify expectations, strengthen communication, and navigate differences and responsibilities with confidence. Grow a strong foundation and keep the romance alive as you journey together. Find out more at www.family.org.sg/C2justmarried.

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If you have enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review on Spotify, Apple Podcast or Podchaser. It'll be very helpful for others to find our podcast. You can also help us by copying this link www.family.org.sg/connect2podcast to share with your friends.

You can also support us by giving monthly. We appreciate your generous giving as every dollar helps to sustain our efforts in strengthening families. Please note that if you are based in Singapore, as a donor-supported charity with Institution of a Public Character status, all monthly and one-time donations of $50 and above, will qualify for 250% tax deduction.

“Keeping our connection alive as husband and wife is really about being intentional. When you are intentional, it becomes more meaningful to spend time together.” – Peter

A couple's connection is the backbone of a strong relationship. Yet seasons of life—parenting, work pressures, and health challenges—can easily strain this bond. Choosing to nurture connection intentionally helps couples stay close, support one another, and grow stronger through every change.

Delia continues her conversation with Peter and Harriet Chung, married for 40 years, as they share practical wisdom on staying emotionally connected through life’s transitions. They discuss the habits that have kept them close engaging in shared activities, planning meaningful trips, practising each other’s love languages, and setting intentional long‑term goals.

The Chungs also reflect on how mentoring younger couples has strengthened their own marriage by encouraging them to look outward, grow together, and revisit the insights they offer others. Through candid stories from their parenting years and the decisions they made as a team, they show how intentionality, trust, and open communication can sustain connection across decades.

You can also listen to Peter and Harriet as they share, "Building a marriage that communicates better."

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Build your early years of marriage with Connect2 Just Married! Designed to equip couples married for five years or less, this programme helps you learn key skills, clarify expectations, strengthen communication, and navigate differences and responsibilities with confidence. Grow a strong foundation and keep the romance alive as you journey together. Find out more at www.family.org.sg/C2justmarried.

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If you have enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review on Spotify, Apple Podcast or Podchaser. It'll be very helpful for others to find our podcast. You can also help us by copying this link www.family.org.sg/connect2podcast to share with your friends.

You can also support us by giving monthly. We appreciate your generous giving as every dollar helps to sustain our efforts in strengthening families. Please note that if you are based in Singapore, as a donor-supported charity with Institution of a Public Character status, all monthly and one-time donations of $50 and above, will qualify for 250% tax deduction.