M’sian couple expecting 10th child, spends around S$1,615 a month on fixed expenses

A Malaysian couple has drawn attention online after sharing how they are raising 10 children while maintaining a simple lifestyle centred on shared responsibilities and close family ties.

The couple, Su Youfu, 42, and Wei Peiling, 37, shared details about their parenting approach, daily routines and household finances with Sin Chew, adding that their children remain their biggest motivation despite the challenges of raising such a large family.

Tried for another child

According to Sin Chew, the couple married in 2005 and had their first four children between 2006 and 2012: Junjie, Junwei, Jingen and Jinghui.

In 2016, their eldest son Junjie was diagnosed with leukaemia.

The couple decided to have another child. They also hoped that umbilical cord blood from a newborn, which contains stem cells sometimes used in leukaemia treatment, might help support his recovery.

The attempt was ultimately unsuccessful.

Still, Junjie was very close to the baby, affectionately giving him a nickname the family still uses to this day.

Junjie would pass away soon after.

The couple now brings their children to visit Junjie each year on the anniversary of his passing so the younger siblings will continue to remember him.

Children grew up surrounded by plantations and animals

The family lives in a more rural part of Johor, surrounded by oil palm plantations, and keeps rabbits at home.

Su said growing up close to nature plays an important role in childhood development.

Connecting with nature is the "best gift for children” because it allows them to explore their creativity and supports both physical and mental growth, Su explained.

The children also make some money by collecting oil palm fruits from plantations belonging to their relatives or family.

According to Su, “the older children would guide the younger ones, and the money earned from selling the fruits is shared among them to buy things they like.”

This helps them understand the value of money, he added.

Parents emphasise communication instead of physical discipline

When it comes to discipline, Wei said she prefers to communicate with her children rather than use physical punishment, as she believes it could have a lasting impact on their emotional development.

The couple also try to avoid arguing in front of their children, choosing to resolve disagreements through discussion.

Regular family activities such as fishing, chatting and spending time outdoors together are something Su and Wei consider very important, as they see them as a way to strengthen family bonds.

Su also said he arranges tuition classes for the children but does not place strong academic pressure on them, as he believes character is more important than grades.

“If a person has poor character, even the highest level of education is meaningless,” he said.

The couple also said they make a conscious effort to treat all their children equally, including when buying clothes or celebrating birthdays, so none of them feels left out.

Responsibilities

Raising 10 children is no easy task, so the parents involve them in household responsibilities from an early age.

According to the report, the children help with everyday chores such as hanging laundry and folding clothes.

The couple said the children preferred sleeping in the same room with them for many years, even though they had their own bedrooms.

According to Su, the family placed mattresses on the floor so everyone could sleep together, and he recalled the bedroom door being “opened and closed dozens of times a day” because of how many people shared the space.

As the children grew older, things gradually changed, and their second son, now 19, eventually moved into his own room.

Monthly household expenses exceed RM5,000 (S$1615.54)

Supporting such a large family comes with expenses.

The couple said the household spends more than RM5,000 (S$1,615.54) each month on education fees, food, children’s milk powder and utilities.

Five of the younger children still rely on milk powder.

According to Su:

“We go through more than 20 tins of milk powder every month, and each tin usually lasts less than two days.”

He also added that at one point, the family had more than a dozen milk bottles at home.

Su shared that he would wake up at night to prepare milk for the children so his wife could rest.

With their 10th child on the way and considering their age, the couple said they plan to stop having more children after this pregnancy.

According to the report, Wei plans to undergo a procedure after giving birth to prevent future pregnancies.

Top image via Sinchew and Canva