SMU Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology (Practice) Paulin Straughan calls remote working a potential game-changer, and if properly instituted, it will allow young couples to invest in their careers and also grow their families. As many people are prioritising their career development, it is important to evolve systems that allow people to balance work and family, she said, adding that the pandemic has shown that it is possible to manage a profitable business with employees working from home. Prof Straughan said that while there will always be people who choose to live their married lives as “Dinks” (double income no kids), most who marry would aspire to have children. Besides WFH arrangements, she said, people in their 20s could also take time off from work, and resume their careers afterwards when the children no longer need intensive care.