Sometimes it's ok to kill

If you do not know yet, my elder girl has this innate love for insects, animals and anything that moves. Things that evoke fear in me, like spiders, lice and millipedes, I call them creepy crawlies, she calls them cute creatures. While I am sometimes appalled by how she is fascinated by them and that she is not terrified to be their friend, deep down I am grateful that she openly displays her love and affection for these living things.



One day, we were outside and saw ants crawling in the park. Instead of squatting down and scrutinising them like how she always did, she started to trample on them and told me "My friend in school said I must kill them". Hearing her use the word 'kill' horrified me as we had not taught her that at home. I gently explained to her that unless these insects threatened our safety or posed as a hazard in our house, we should let them live on and be kind to them instead of crushing them. That said, I knew it was time for me to explain to my soon-to-be 4-year-old on the meaning of words like 'kill' and 'die'.

If there is one thing that is perfectly legit to slay and for good reasons too, it is germs. We love to have fun with our children outdoors and this exposes them to a risk of infections. With a lively, vivacious elder kid who likes to lay her hands on everything she sees, germs can enter her body when she uses the same pair of hands to touch her face or rub her eyes. This may lead to infections like diarrhoea, influenza, acute respiratory diseases and even HFMD (Hand, foot and mouth disease), which she had unfortunately contracted earlier on this year.

Drawing our lesson from that ordeal, we make handwashing a habit at home and teach those germs a lesson by killing them before they infect. As the world’s first anti-bacterial soap brand with over 100 years of history in saving lives, Lifebuoy brings better health and hygiene to people around the world and it is our trusted brand at home.


Every day, when Angel gets home from school, the first thing she does is to wash her hands. Not just wash, but wash thoroughly using the 8 proper steps to handwashing. We also make it a point for her to wash her hands before and after every meal, every visit to the toilet, and every time she goes out of the house or comes into contact with anything unclean.

All it takes is 30 seconds and we can reduce the germ count by up to 99%, according to the Health Promotion Board. In fact, Lifebuoy handwash kills 99.9% of germs in just 10 seconds! In this instance, I am loving the world 'kill'.

Nowadays, Angel loves to wash her hands so much that she will take the initiative to ask "Can I go and wash my hands now?". You see, handwashing has become a fun activity for her ever since Lifebuoy launched its new colour changing handwash which is named "The Hulk of Handwashes". It contains tiny bead particles that release a green colour when squished during handwashing. In just 10 seconds, you can see your hands turn from white to green and that is a sign not just to rinse those tiny hands, but also for mums to feel assured that your kid is now germ-free.

It makes me relieved to know that we constantly stay one step ahead of infections. As parents, we always wish for our kids to be safe, happy and healthy, don't we?

With that in mind, we like to let our girl run free, to laugh loud and to explore the world just the way she wants to. Just remember not to do any Hulk Smash on the tiny insects, will you? 

Disclosure: This is part of a series of sponsored conversations between Lifebuoy and A Happy Mum. All opinions are my own.