Positive content and family entertainment while in lockdown

Through Better Internet for Kids (BIK), and the European Network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs), our aim is to empower children and young people to remain safe online, and equally assist those that support them. During the time of the coronavirus pandemic, Safer Internet Centres have published a number of articles and resources to make our stay at home easier.

Date 2020-05-11 Author BIK Team Section awareness, positive-content

While this article focuses on positive content and family entertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic, you can also read the article on well-being while in lockdown to make your stay at home easier.

* Please note – resource listings are being added to regularly, so please
check back often for the latest information *

  • Interactive apps for mental health care (in Croatian). Mental health is an important component of our subjective well-being, but it is often forgotten. Mental health can be enhanced by educating and encouraging people to take care of their mental hygiene. One form of protection is taking time for yourself while relaxing and thinking about yourself and your thoughts, feelings, relationships, etc. Apps like Stella and Stop, Breathe & Think offer guidance for working on mental hygiene.
  • Psychosocial work with individuals and groups remotely (in Croatian). The global COVID-19 pandemic has changed our daily lives and routines. In order to protect our health, many people are working from home, which is particularly challenging for those whose job involves direct contact with people. Thus, providing telephone counselling and psychosocial assistance over the telephone has become a relevant issue among professionals working in the field.
  • Children need to keep in touch with those they care about (in Danish). During the COVID-19 pandemic, digital communication is especially important for children to maintain their relationships, and they need help with this, writes Media Council Chairman, Stine Liv Johansen.
  • Children and young people flock to digital counselling - now your municipality can get started for free (in Danish). During the lockdown in Denmark, many children and young people have lost the opportunity to participate in physical counselling services. This can enhance the experience of isolation and cause anxiety along the way. The Centre for Digital Pædagogik is offering municipalities the possibility to create digital counselling platforms for free.
  • How to be a supportive parent in an emergency situation (in Estonian). The current situation, aside from spending so much time together, is challenging both for parents and children. These 10 recommendations from the Estonian Union for Child Welfare will help you play the role of parent, teacher and employee at the same time.
  • Things to look out for in the home office (in French and German). In view of the current lockdown measures, many people are working from home. The so-called home office, however, is usually not as well equipped as the actual office. In addition, couches and armchairs look very tempting to move us away from the desk. This article from BEE SECURE explains why you should avoid this for health reasons and what you should pay attention to when furnishing your workplace.
  • Counselling services for children, young people and parents while staying at home (in German). Lockdown measures mean that many people are spending more time at home than usual. That can be nice, but it can also be very exhausting and, in this unusual situation, conflicts can quickly arise. Most disputes are certainly harmless and can be settled quickly, but what if they can't? Klicksafe lists several free counselling services to help prevent escalation and which can offer help.
  • Coronavirus – What to do about my anxiety (in German). At the moment, we are all in an absolutely exceptional situation because of the coronavirus measures. It is perfectly normal to feel fear as well. For our body, such an exceptional situation is like a permanent state of stress. The good news is that you can do a lot to prevent fear from taking over with these tips from Saferinternet.at.
  • Being alone (in German). Many people are feeling lonely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here you can find some tips from the Austrian Safer Internet Centre to cope with the situation.
  • Tips for parents to reduce potential conflict while in isolation (in German). Children are bland, parents have to work from home, and the news fuel fears. Families are facing extremely big challenges in the coming weeks. The long time spent together in a confined space and the uncertainty about how things will continue are the best breeding ground for emotional outbursts and thick air. This article from Saferinternet.at compiles tips for parents for this time of heightened potential for conflict.
  • Too much family time during coronavirus (in German). Being at home 24/7 during the COVID-19 lockdown is not easy. A lot of what we like to do in our free time is not possible anymore and you can quickly become frustrated. Even being with your family all the time can be too much for you at some point. How can you still create a little privacy for yourself? Find it out on this article from Saferinternet.at.
  • Homes and university - education for parents (in Icelandic). The School of Education of the University of Iceland, in collaboration with Home and School (an Icelandic SIC partner), has launched a series of online lectures for parents. Scholars from the School of Education, together with well-known guests, will discuss various aspects of family life during the extraordinary times we are living in: support for children's and young people's education; education and communication; home and school connections; relationships and experience; leisure time and routine; and sleep and health. The online lectures are live 2-3 business days each week, and parents can submit questions to be discussed in the session.
  • The 116111 hotline helps families affected by the COVID-19 crisis (in Latvian). In times of crisis, when our normal life rhythm is disrupted and various restrictions have to be observed, many people feel stressed. Talking to a psychologist is one of the most effective methods to avoid negative consequences. This article explores the possibilities for families to call the helpline and receive psychological support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • How do you talk to a child about a disturbing COVID-19 related situation? (in Polish). The COVID-19 pandemic can be frightening for adults and children because we have never faced such a situation before. It is the first time in our lives that a virus is posing such an enormous risk at epidemiological, psychological and social levels. How do we talk to children about this? How do we give ourselves and our children strength in this situation?
  • Parenthood staying at home - a guide for parents (in Polish). During the COVID-19 pandemic, children may not understand the situation, but they see that their parents are nervous, maybe more tense than usual, or thoughtful. Children are also experiencing many changes in their everyday life and their reaction may be weariness, dissatisfaction, difficulty in regulating their emotions... Let's look at how parents can address these situations.
  • Well-being kit (fillable) (in Portuguese). This 14-day well-being diary provides children with some daily activities as a reference to make everyday life more fulfilling. They can fill it in with activities, feelings, achievements, and unusual situations lived in the context of the COVID-19 lockdown to help them better deal with quarantine, while supporting their healthy and balanced development in a playful way. There is an English version available too.
  • Working at home (in Portuguese). Working from home is new to many people and the move to work from home or telework can affect us in different ways. If you are new to working from home, we hope this article will be helpful. It offers some quick and easy tips, tricks and techniques for those trying to have a healthy balance between work and personal life.

Remember that European Safer Internet Centres also provide helpline services allowing children and young people, and parents and carers to access personalised advice and support. Equally, each SIC also provides a hotline for reporting any illegal content you mind find online. Don't hesitate to contact them in case of need!

Discover more resources published by European Safer Internet Centres in a variety of European languages >>

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