Sex Is Easy, Bringing Up The Child is The Tough Part

Excerpt From The Straits Times

"You Don't Need Much Space to Have Sex" says Senior Minister of State, Josephine Teo

You do not need much space to have sex.

That was the feisty rejoinder from Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo, who oversees the National Population and Talent Division, to a question on whether young people are not getting their flats early enough to have children.

The suggestion was that this could be a chicken-and-egg problem. To qualify for the Parenthood Priority Scheme, which gives first- time married couples first dibs on getting a flat, they must be expecting or have a citizen child below 16.

But to have a child, some say they need to have a flat first.

​With a straight face, Mrs Teo declared: "You need a very small space to have sex."

Sex is the easy part.

​Back of the car, mall toilets, changing room, in the cinema, stairwell, in a tent by the beach, against the side of a bus in the heavy vehicle's parking lot after dark.

Bringing up the child in a conducive environment is another matter. Without your own place, you're going to have to contend with parents/in-laws or sub-tenants. Space here represents both the physical space as well as the personal space. What the G doesn't take into account when making policies is the psychological and social repercussions on its citizens. Everything is numbers on a excel spreadsheet to them.

Personal space is the comfort zone that we each like to maintain during both physical and emotional interactions with other people. When we lose that space, we begin to develop feelings of discomfort, irritability and anxiety. Most of us are not even aware of our emotional states sometimes. Just get on a train during peak hours; you can see it on people's faces: The pulsating frustration beneath the veneer of indifference.

I have friends who are raising a kid (or two) in a shared apartment, and when I compared them to others who have their own place, I noticed a stark contrast. The ones who are staying with their in-laws or sub-tenants constantly feel drained, exhausted and are frequently arguing over, what seems like, minor issues. I'm not expert in this area and I have not done intensive ground survey, but I've got a feeling I'm on the right track with this one. Please leave me a comment below if you agree or disagree with this observation. I would like to get your take on this.

And you can read this article if you need more ideas on making out in small places. You're welcome.