Teach Hand Washing Habits, Christian Sugiono Creates Fun Family Bonding Moments with Children

Kapanlagi.com - Speaking of celebrity young dads who are idolized, the name Christian Sugiono must be one of those that must be included in the list. This father of two children is known as a family man who loves his family very much. In the midst of this pandemic where more time is spent at home, Tian takes advantage of this moment to spend more time with his family at home through various beneficial activities. For example, by starting to teach hand washing habits to his two children, Juna and Kai.

Hand washing habits are really important to do in this current pandemic, because it can prevent the spread of the virus that is currently spreading. Welcoming Global Handwashing Day 2020, the husband of Titi Kamal shares his tips for instilling hand washing habits to children through a virtual press conference 'C for Handwashing, Handwashing Education for Children from an Early Age' held by Lifebuoy on Thursday (15/10/2020).

Making it a Fun Family Bonding Moment

In the press conference, Christian Sugiono, who is also the Brand Ambassador for Lifebuoy, shared that the habit of hand washing has actually been practiced in his family for a long time. However, in situations like the current pandemic, this habit has been intensified.

“Titi and I have already accustomed Arjuna and Kai to wash their hands, long before the pandemic. But now we feel that the habit of washing hands properly and correctly for children has become even more important. We also continue to remind children to wash their hands at all times, before and after activities, especially outdoor activities. We are aware that this pandemic is not over, so we all still need to be vigilant. So through this opportunity, I also want to invite Indonesian parents, as figures who play a big role in children's lives, to teach and remind children to wash their hands properly to avoid germs, especially in situations like the current pandemic," Tian explained in the press conference session.

Tian also has his own way of instilling the habit of hand washing. For Kai, who is still young, he uses videos about germs and bacteria that are certainly more interesting for children his age. Meanwhile, Juna already understands what a virus is, so he just needs to be given an example.

"Children are easier if parents also do the same thing. So this is already like family bonding because it is done together. If there are still children who are lacking, we will let them know. Over time, children become more understanding and accustomed," he continued.

Instilling the habit of hand washing for children also has its own challenges. Tian often feels it when Juna is busy playing and doesn't want to wash his hands, or when Kai prefers to play with soap bubbles instead.

"Sometimes Juna is too busy playing. But we turn hand washing moments into fun together. The challenge is also with Kai, he doesn't want to stop when there are bubbles. It's funny, but we make it fun," said Tian.

Time to Change the Paradigm About Hand Washing

This press conference was also attended by Dr. Efmansyah Iken Lubis, MM, Chairman of the Indonesian General Practitioners Association (PDUI) South Jakarta Branch, representing PDUI as the largest organization in the Indonesian Doctors Association. He explained that it is time for the public to change the paradigm about hand washing, which has been done only at certain times, now it should be done as often as possible.

"In a pandemic situation, everyone is at risk of contracting the virus, including the closest family environment. So it is very important to familiarize all family members with good handwashing. Now we need to change the paradigm, handwashing is not only before and after meals or after using the toilet, but it must be done at all times. After playing or doing any activity, remind family members, especially children, to wash their hands. There needs to be a fundamental change in behavior to maintain safety and health, one of which is through initiatives to educate and instill good handwashing habits correctly from an early age so that they become accustomed to it in adulthood," explained Dr. Iken.

Lifebuoy Global Initiative: C for Handwashing

This press conference conducted by Lifebuoy is in order to welcome World Handwashing Day this year. Since the Handwashing with Soap (CTPS) program was implemented in 2004, Lifebuoy has reached 100 million clean hands in Indonesia and continues to be committed to maintaining the health of Indonesian families, especially during the pandemic like now.

"For more than 86 years, Lifebuoy has been a part of Indonesian families to protect them from germs. Especially in the current pandemic, we continue to remind and facilitate the community to always maintain hand cleanliness at all times, one of which is by providing portable handwashing facilities in areas that need them. Before the pandemic, it turns out that 2 out of 3 Indonesians still wash their hands using only water without soap. Therefore, on this World Handwashing Day, we want to emphasize the importance of CTPS education from an early age to instill the habit of CTPS that will continue into adulthood. Thus, in the current situation, washing hands with soap becomes increasingly important to be done and instilled from an early age," said Maulani Affandi, Head of Skin Cleansing and Baby Unilever Indonesia.

In line with the spirit of World Handwashing Day, Lifebuoy has launched the 'C for Handwashing' initiative. This global initiative and partnership include financial support worth Rp517 billion and the creation of a jingle song for children, to educate and encourage handwashing behavior change from an early age in various countries.

Meanwhile, specifically in Indonesia, Lifebuoy has maximized collaborations to expand the reach and benefits of the program to various parts of the country. Starting from the launch of the Healthy School and Pesantren Program 2020, which is a collaboration between Unilever and the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Religion, PDGI, PERDOSKI, and PERSI. In addition, there is also the Hygiene and Behavior Change Coalition (HBCC) program in collaboration with the British Ambassador, UNICEF, and Save The Children.

To make the public more aware of the broader impact in Indonesia, Lifebuoy also held a virtual fundraising concert in collaboration with Kitabisa.com to provide adequate handwashing facilities for those in need. This concert will begin with the first and largest virtual handwashing event in Indonesia with the theme #CleanHandsForIndonesia. This concert itself was held on Thursday, October 15, 2020 at 19.00 - 21.00 WIB via live streaming on Vidio.

(adv/wri)