M'sia launches 'Hug your family for 10 seconds' campaign
What is one way of strengthening family bonds?
Malaysia's Women, Family and Community Development Ministry has come up with the "Hug your family for 10 seconds campaign" - in an attempt to bring families closer together.
Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim said this campaign aims to strengthen family bonds.
She noted that the concept of family was being socially threatened by the current lifestyle that parents and their children lead.
The minister also noted that parents were spending less time with their children because it is common to find both parents working to support the family.
Hugging provides some health benefits too, she told reporters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
"A hug will activate the brain to release oxytocin, a bonding hormone. It can also lower blood pressure, stress and cholesterol," she said.
Hugging could also reduce anxiety and fear among children.
Quoting renowned American family therapist Virgina Satir, the minister said: "We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth."
Source: The Star Online
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