Silver Linings: Our Response to COVID-19 Matters
 

PRESS STATEMENT by Donna Rice Hughes, President of Enough Is Enough^®:

Advice to Keep Your Kids Safe in the Digital World and Make the Best of a Challenging Situation with Kindness, Gratitude, and Optimism 

Great Falls, VA. March 23, 2020 -- There's no question that these coming days, weeks, and maybe even months are going to present new challenges with COVID-19, but with these new challenges come new opportunities. Our response to these trying times can make all the difference. Look for the silver linings.

When we look back on this journey in the future, we hope we can each say we did our best to respond with kindness, gratitude, and selflessness. Be encouraged that the coronavirus crisis is temporary, but the lessons learned and good habits developed during this journey are lasting. 

Opportunities for families who are home bound:

• More time available to spend connecting with family (play board games, make meals together, watch movies, enjoy crafts, go on bike rides, learn a new skill)
• Ability to complete projects on your "to-do" list
• More focus on personal and family health and wellness (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual)
• A chance to rethink priorities, slow down, rest and count your blessings.

To help manage anxiety, look for ways to show kindness and pay it forward by applying the Golden Rule to help others:

• Stay connected with friends and colleagues while practicing responsible social distancing which is an intentional act of kindness!
• Offer to get groceries and needed items for those who are self- isolating or quarantined.
• Thank those serving on the front lines of this pandemic (doctors, nurses...anyone who must continue to interact with the public daily).
• Make a needed call or send a note, e-mail, or social post encouraging others around you. Utilize Enough Is Enough^®'s Random Posts of Kindness which include graphics and sayings to tweet, text, post and share on social media, as well as the ability to create customized posts. This is a free and easy opportunity to show kindness!

In all cases, please remember to follow CDC recommended guidelinesto keep yourself and others safe and healthy. 

Greater amounts of downtime likely means more time spent on internet-enabled devices. Technology can be your ally if used responsibly and safely. 

It's up to parents to be the first line of defense to keep kids safe from the dangers of pornography, sexual exploitation, predators, traffickers and cyberbullies.

• Closely monitor and establish guidelines on all devices that connect to the internet, including cell phones, tablets, gaming systems and televisions. 
• Follow Enough Is Enough^®'s safety guidelines by practicing common sense tips in combination with parental controls tools on every device (see the Rules 'N Tools Checklist).
• Set daily screen time limits.
• Technology tools, solutions, and resources to keep kids safe and secure online can be found at InternetSafety101.org.

For more information, visit enough.org.