Ramnah Abdul Rahman, 31, had to quit her job as a multimedia content developer when her second child was born because of the high childcare cost. She holds a Bachelors in Multimedia (Hons) and was in the job market for only six years.
She was based in Cyberjaya and felt spending one fourth of her income on childcare was financially taxing. Hence she made the tough decision to quit her professional job and become a stay-at-home mother.
"I would have to spend over RM800 for both my toddlers if I were to send them to a daycare center. This was in 2006. The overhead cost for me to continue staying in the workforce was too much and there was no other option but for me to quit," she said.
Her husband instead had to be the sole breadwinner and worked extra hard to provide for the family. Ramnah welcomes baby creche in all organisations. She believes this will be an encouraging factor for mothers who are starting their career.
Today, Ramnah is a full-time housewife who sews clothes for sale from her home.
Priya Krishnan, 34, who lives in Petaling Jaya was caught by surprise over the high cost of childcare when she was researching to send her 14-month-old baby.
Initially, she sent her newborn to her parents who lived in Malacca and visited the child on weekends.
She later quit her job and found a higher paying one to enable her to send her child to a daycare center.
"An average decent daycare center run legally with qualified teachers would cost between RM700 and RM800 in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur.
'The child-bearing age is when we start our career. If we do not earn enough money, it will be a burden on the family:' said Priya.
Compared to Ramnah, Priya had longer work experience and was able to demand a better salary in her new organisation. This also motivated her to continue striving harder at work so that she could provide the necessary for her child.
However, she too wished private organisations, especially, would consider providing daycare facilities.
"Subsidized daycare will be great. As more women are excelling in their higher education, the childcare benefits would help them to remain in the job market. They can excel in their careers:' she said.
Priya is expecting her second child and plans to send the baby to daycare.
"When both my kids are in the daycare it would cost me RM 1,500. However, I have no plans to quit my job. I am determined to make ends meet with the help of my husband:' she said.
Despite holding a Biotech degree with first class honors from a local university, Dinagari Janarthana, 29, had to leave the workforce to care for her newborn.
She was a patent executive and had worked both for the government and private sector.
"I never imagined that I would become a housewife one day. I was left with no option but to quit my job when I could not find a suitable childcare.
"My plans to send my baby to my in-laws did not materialize. My parents were based in Penang and I was in the K1ang Valley. I had to make the tough decision to quit my job. .
"I have heard of some organisations that provide baby creche but they are just too few," she said.
On her husband's suggestion for her to start a home-based business, Dinagari ventured into baking.
"My in-laws and friends helped to support my baking business. It was not an easy journey but I had to do something for the extra income,'' she said.
-Image credit to PaMa
why she wasn't paid a nanny for her children?
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