In this episode, we chat with Double Dads, Andre and Cam, to find out what it’s like raising their son Tyler in Singapore. From hearing about Singapore’s community of other double dad families, to what more needs to be done when it comes to acceptance, plus they spill the beans on their parenting highs (and lows!).
About our guests – Andre and Cam
Andre was born and raised in Singapore, and Cameron was born and raised in Geelong in Victoria, Australia. After marrying in 2019, Andre and Cam were promoted to dads with the arrival of their baby boy – Tyler, who was conceived via surrogacy. Andre and Cam share their parenting journey through their blog. As well as being doting dads and partners, they also run their own tech firm together. Here’s what they had to say about same sex parenting in SG when we got the chance to catch up with them…
Key points we covered in this episode to take a listen to…
02:47 – We start off by asking Andre and Cam to tell us more about the community of same-sex parents here in Singapore. It turns out there’s a very active and supportive community for same-sex dads.
07:57 – Andre and Cam share their thoughts on communicating with Tyler when it comes to their family set-up and how it’s something that doesn’t make a difference at the moment due to Tyler’s age. They also share how supportive the school community have been in supporting Tyler.
10:30 – Sadly, the support doesn’t always transcend to the wider public in SG. From the realtor asking where mum is to the aunties and uncles down the street – they’ve had their fair share of looks and questions during their time.
15:27 – We ask Andre and Cam to talk us through any worries they have for Tyler as he grows up due to the family unit. They share that they do worry about other kids because kids can be cruel at times. We also discuss how kids can be easily influenced by adults’ perceptions and reactions. We go on to ask whether they’d ever consider another location that might be more “open” to the family setup. They share how they’ve considered options, but Covid changed plans to move and got them to reflect on SG and the benefits of living here.
21:33 – And on a personal level, what are Andre and Cam’s hopes and dreams for the future when it comes to same-sex parents. They share that they hope education can open up to be more inclusive (in terms of the syllabus rather than teachers themselves), but they know that SG has limits when it comes to change.
23:11 – We wrap up by asking Andre and Cam to share their best and worst parenting moments, as well as something they wish they’d known before becoming a parent.
Want to know more? Check out these resources…
Want to read more about same-sex parents in SG? We’ve also spoken to other two dad families based in Singapore to get the lowdown on life raising a kid here and the (not always easy) journey to parenthood.
What about two mum families? We’ve got that covered too! We spoke to Pearlyn and Brenda about their IVF journey to conceive their baby, the challenges they’ve faced, as well as the endless rewarding moments.
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Catch our next episode, dropping soon!