So, CPF has released this video about four real Singaporean families discussing retirement.

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Do you know how they so often say that advertising is a reflection of what society is? That it reflects the common values, beliefs and attitudes. Watching the video, we actually found ourselves nodding along.   

Here’s five truisms of Singaporeans we spotted in this video that all of us can relate to.

Singaporean women always tend to care more about the children

We will never know if this is true, but it sure seems that we’ve been brought up to believe so. Traditionally, Singaporean fathers have always been seen as the main breadwinner, with mothers taking more interest in ‘home affairs’ which include the upbringing of children.

To Singaporeans, complete retirement can be boring…and unhealthy

Singaporeans have spent so much of their lives working, that when they finally reach the age of retirement, they get hit with a mid-life crisis of sorts. And that’s when they become grumpy, with some more enterprising folks creating jobs for themselves.

That’s why active aging is important – whether it’s having a part time job or looking after grandchildren.

Singaporeans tend to put their children first

Singaporeans may appear to be “in their own world” most of the time, but once we have kids, things change. From the pioneer generation to today’s young millennials, we’ll sacrifice holidays, a comfortable retirement and the best years of our lives to make sure our children get a head start in life.

Singaporeans generally don't want to live till they’re 100

You don’t hear old folks saying “I want to live to 100 years” old in Singapore very often. Why? Probably because we’re too concerned about being a burden to our families, and potentially losing our dignity to dementia and Alzheimer’s.

But, hey! Living to 100 and being healthy is still very much possible in Singapore, which has the fourth highest life expectancy in the world and is home to 900 centenarians (2012). With advances in healthcare, maybe being a centenarian won’t be that hard in the future.

Singaporeans can underestimate the cost of retirement

We often work towards retirement, thinking that it’s a magical period in our lives that we don't need to work. But what we often forget is during retirement, we’ll have less disposable income, and old age might inadvertently mean more medical and health expenses. So find some time to read this and plan, plan, plan!

*This article was sponsored by the CPF Big R Chat, a campaign by CPF encouraging Singaporeans to get conversations about retirement started.