M'sian couple, aged 38 & 39, talk about raising 7 children, including eldest, 21 & in uni

A Sin Chew Daily special report focused on a Malaysian couple who are parents to seven children, where the youngest and eldest have a 17-year age gap.

Their oldest child is 21, and in university, while the youngest is four, which is six years away from having a phone.

They spoke to the Malaysian daily about their initial plans for a two-child family, and how they adjusted along the way.

They run a kindergarten and said they do not believe in scolding or beating their children.

They, however, believe strongly in discipline.

They develop regular routines for their children from a young age, with fixed times for eating, showering, and sleeping every day.

The children will also have to help out with everyday chores, which differ based on the age of the children.

According to Sin Chew, the older ones will vacuum, collect laundry, and prepare meals sometimes.

The younger ones fold clothes and sort the laundry into baskets.

And the parents lead by example, doing chores promptly so their children will learn from them.

They also encourage their children to engage in community service from a young age.

Phone use is, of course, another concern.

The baseline age for getting a phone is 10.

Leading by example is a must, as the parents do not use their phones too much in front of their children, but instead, give their offspring their full attention:

"We build trust with our children by always keeping our promises to them, and we expect the same from them."

While raising a family that big isn't the cheapest thing to do, they spend about RM10,000 (S$3,216) a month.

Such an expense has motivated them to earn more.

The couple also had two miscarriages.

These events had made the couple view their children as pillars of strength, and they would feel happy whenever they saw them, regardless of how tired they may be.