Life goes on. What do I dream of? It is like a wheel. It has been four years, I have lived in this position. I struggle to survive. It is far from the word "Growing".

In this hardship, I should think of the future of my kids. They should go to good schools. Next year, my first daughter will enter senior high school. I plan to enrol her in a vocational school. It is as high as a senior high school, but the school teaches a life skill. A graduate from a vocational school is ready to enter the job market. That is one reason why I like my daughter to go to this kind of school.

Why do I not encourage my daughter to go to a university? A university will be costly today. I can not afford to pay the fee. I will motivate my daughter to go to a university after she gets a job. She should go to university with her own money.

It is not an ideal choice for a father, but I should think of the demand for a workforce here. In Bekasi, vocational school graduates have more chances to get a job in industries. The salary is good too. A university graduate needs to have experience to enter the workforce and get a good salary. Education is very important. I do not neglect the need for education in university, but getting a job first before enrolling in university is better, in my opinion.

Teaching my daughter to be a woman

I will preserve my culture by teaching my daughter to be a woman. Preparing her to be a wife is part of our culture. A woman should be a wife. She should serve her husband. I will keep the traditional value of family for all my kids. I do not care about modernization.

When some women promote "Child free", I do not. I will keep motivating all my kids to preserve the traditional value of family. A man works, and a woman takes care of children. It is possible for a woman to get a job while she is taking care of her children. This custom has been practiced by families in big cities in Indonesia. Though a wife works, the traditional value of family is strongly maintained.

In our culture, the togetherness of a big family is a source of happiness. We are proud of having a lot of children and grandchildren. That is an old philosophy, but it can be replaced by the value of a liberal mindset and having no children. The liberal supporters think that caring for children is costly, but not for us. Caring for children is an investment for their future. We also teach all children to respect and care for older people during pension time. That is why, in Indonesia, old people live together with one of their kids. Children should take care of their parents when they are successful. This traditional value makes us strong.

In the end, keeping the traditional value of family is a must. Parents work for their kids. Financing children's education is our duty as parents. In return, children will care for their parents during pension time.