{"id":1621,"date":"2020-04-13T11:52:22","date_gmt":"2020-04-13T19:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internetsafety.trendmicro.com\/?p=1621"},"modified":"2021-09-21T09:25:30","modified_gmt":"2021-09-21T17:25:30","slug":"3-ways-to-help-your-family-online-as-you-stayathome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/blog\/3-ways-to-help-your-family-online-as-you-stayathome\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways to Help Your Family Online As You #StayAtHome"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;section&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22&#8243;][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Text&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.27.4&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221;]The spread of COVID-19 may have limited our ability to do many things, but it hasn\u2019t hampered our mission to help parents and kids use technology in safe, responsible and successful ways. As we all do our part to keep our families and others safe by staying home, our dependence on the internet has intensified, for better or worse. If there were ever a time to encourage the positive use of technology, this is it.<\/p>\n<p>Over the next few months, we will be providing tips and insights \u2013 from live tech chats to guest chats and other online resources \u2013 to help you and your family navigate the new reality of staying, working and learning from home while staying on the positive side of it all.<\/p>\n<p>This is not just about security best practices for parents working from home (although we have <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.trendmicro.com\/suddenly-teleworking-securely\/\">plenty to share<\/a> on the matter), but much more, including ideas and habits to help everyone in your home embrace the bigger role the internet has in your homes and in your lives.<\/p>\n<p>Before we get into specific apps, devices or games that your kids are using more often or for the first time, either for fun or for school, consider the foundation that all of this increased internet use will be built upon.\u00a0 Make sure you set up a safe, secure, and healthy environment for connecting, set (or re-set) the rules, and set a good example for your kids who&#8217;ll be watching the example you set, more than ever!<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Set up the environment (and respect it). <\/strong>Consider the physical spaces, devices, and use of the network that each member of your family will need and when.\u00a0 This includes:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Define the place and time<\/strong> for both work and school, for each person in the family. Set up clear start and end times, especially on the days they may have to \u201cattend school\u201d or do schoolwork at home. With no commute to mark your bookends, you may always feel like you are at work if you don\u2019t make a conscientious effort to disconnect or walk away from your workspace.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Share space and resources with care.<\/strong> Wear headphones for privacy (and quiet!). If possible, plan out who needs devices or intenet access and when so your home network isn\u2019t overloaded. This will make certain you do not have any issues on conferences calls, online classes or dropping the high score of the game you may be playing together.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Make security a priority.<\/strong> If your router allows it, put your work devices on one of its networks and the kids\u2019 devices on the guest network to keep your kids from accessing internet connected things you don\u2019t want them to. Use reputable, up-to-date security software to protect every device connecting to the internet.\u00a0 Use strong passwords and change them often.\u00a0 Turn on multi-factor authentication on every app or site if it\u2019s offered, which helps make sure only you are able to login to them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Clarify what can or can\u2019t be accessed.<\/strong> Kids are online more but should still stick to things appropriate for their age and maturity. Now is the time to revisit parental controls on routers, devices, app stores, and websites so your kids stick to age-appropriate content. With more screen time, be sure they stick to online chats\/connections that are safe.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Make sure everyone is staying physically healthy while online<\/strong>. More screen time can lead to aches &amp; pains (eyes, neck, wrists) that you may not think about until it\u2019s too late. Make sure kids are seated with feet flat on floor, that adequate lighting is in place, and remind them to look away from the screen every 30 minutes to a distance far away for 30 seconds to protect their eyes. Encourage them to get up and walk around frequently.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><strong>Set the rules. <\/strong>You may be comfortable with kids being online more during this period, and may have said yes to apps or games you were holding out on, but even in this new normal, kids still need boundaries.\u00a0 Let them help you as you consider the rules and consequences of breaking them.\u00a0 Here are some rules to consider and questions to ask if you have not done so already. <strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What is allowed?<\/strong> With more time at home, invest a few minutes to decide and maybe expand the list of apps, games, and devices your kids can use. Let them be part of researching them and why something is or isn\u2019t ok for them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Where can they use it?<\/strong> Designate the spaces where they will use tech for school vs. fun if you can separate them. A mind shift can make a difference.<\/li>\n<li><strong>When can they use it?<\/strong> Build a schedule of tech use, allowing for school time, connecting with friends or entertainment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>How long are they allowed on it?<\/strong> In addition to school time, allow fun tech time balanced with outside or non-screen time. And don\u2019t worry about relaxing the rules during these times. \u00a0It\u2019s the quality not quantity that counts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>With whom can they use it?<\/strong> Be sure they stick to online chats\/connections on social network, video chats or videogames that are safe and approved by you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><strong>Set a good example (because young eyes are watching, and ears are listening). <\/strong>Work pressures can make it very easy to forget the feelings of others. Find time to support each other and acknowledge one another\u2019s space.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Set rules for yourself.<\/strong> Your kids are more likely to follow rules if they see you following rules, too.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Respect each member<\/strong> of the family\u2019s time for work or school online as well as their time offline. It can be very easy to assume something is more important than another, but it does come down to perspective and shared experiences.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Allow each person individual time<\/strong> online for socializing, entertainment, etc. Going back to our tip on boundaries, don\u2019t lose sight of the fact that all work and no play may turn you into a digital and physical zombie.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spend time together<\/strong> as a family, both online and off. You may think because you are all under the same roof that you are \u2018together\u2019 \u2013 that isn\u2019t always the case. Make the time to sit and play a video game or a board game together. Eat meals together and keep the devices face down.\u00a0 Go for a walk, bake, or reach out to family on a video chat together whenever you can. Find ways &#8211; online or off &#8211; to help others who are in need or are risking their lives during this challenging time to put everything into perspective.\u00a0 As tough as this time might be, directing your family&#8217;s energy towards helping others is helpful both to them and to you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Our collective experience during this global health crisis has shown that nobody has been spared the stresses of abruptly shifting our lives indoors and online.\u00a0 But taking these first steps &#8212; setting up a healthy, safe environment, setting the rules and setting a good example &#8212; could help you make the transition more smoothly.\u00a0 It&#8217;s a foundation to help your family as you spend an increasing amount of time working and learning from home. But it will also help you once this is all over.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond these steps, it&#8217;s still important for you and your kids to be good digital citizens. We&#8217;ve got more tips and resources on using the internet in safe, kind and productive ways on this site and more on the way.<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ll also be hosting a series of live events and guest experts to talk about the new challenges to families and to take your questions.<\/p>\n<p>For more tips, resources and a schedule of our live Q&amp;A events, visit internetsafety.trendmicro.com.<br \/>\nOr follow us on Twitter @TrendMicroISKF or Facebook <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TrendMicroUS.ISKF\/\">@TrendMicroUS.ISKF<\/a>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_team_member name=&#8221;Lynette Owens&#8221; image_url=&#8221;\/internet-safety\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/speaker-lynette.png&#8221; position=&#8221;Founder and Global Director of Trend Micro&#8217;s ISKF&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.9&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; twitter_url=&#8221;http:\/\/twitter.com\/lynettetowens&#8221; title_text=&#8221;speaker-lynette&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; global_module=&#8221;5835&#8243; saved_tabs=&#8221;all&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>Lynette Owens is the Founder and Global Director of Trend Micro\u2019s Internet Safety for Kids and Families program. With 20+ years in the tech industry, Lynette speaks and blogs regularly on how to help kids become great digital citizens. She works with communities and 1:1 school districts across the U.S. and around the world to support digital literacy and citizenship education. She is a board member of the National Association of Media Literacy Education and serves on the advisory boards of INHOPE and U.S. Safer Internet Day, and on the national advisor council of Media Literacy Now.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_team_member][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Due to the spread of COVID-19, our dependence on the internet has intensified, for better or worse. If there were ever a time to encourage the positive use of technology, this is it.   Over the next few months, we will be providing tips and insights \u2013 from live tech chats to guest chats and other online resources \u2013 to help you and your family navigate the new reality of staying, working and learning from home while staying on the positive side of it all.  Here are 3 things you can do today to help your family manage more time online as you stay at home.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1622,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"The spread of COVID-19 may have limited our ability to do many things, but it hasn\u2019t hampered our mission to help parents and kids use technology in safe, responsible and successful ways. As we all do our part to keep our families and others safe by staying home, our dependence on the internet has intensified, for better or worse. If there were ever a time to encourage the positive use of technology, this is it.\r\n\r\nOver the next few months, we will be providing tips and insights \u2013 from live tech chats to guest chats and other online resources \u2013 to help you and your family navigate the new reality of staying, working and learning from home while staying on the positive side of it all.\r\n\r\nThis is not just about security best practices for parents working from home (although we have <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.trendmicro.com\/suddenly-teleworking-securely\/\">plenty to share<\/a> on the matter), but much more, including ideas and habits to help everyone in your home embrace the bigger role the internet has in your homes and in your lives.\r\n\r\nBefore we get into specific apps, devices or games that your kids are using more often or for the first time, either for fun or for school, consider the foundation that all of this increased internet use will be built upon.\u00a0 Make sure you set up a safe, secure, and healthy environment for connecting, set (or re-set) the rules, and set a good example for your kids who'll be watching the example you set, more than ever!\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong>Set up the environment (and respect it). <\/strong>Consider the physical spaces, devices, and use of the network that each member of your family will need and when.\u00a0 This includes:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Define the place and time<\/strong> for both work and school, for each person in the family. Set up clear start and end times, especially on the days they may have to \u201cattend school\u201d or do schoolwork at home. With no commute to mark your bookends, you may always feel like you are at work if you don\u2019t make a conscientious effort to disconnect or walk away from your workspace.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Share space and resources with care.<\/strong> Wear headphones for privacy (and quiet!). If possible, plan out who needs devices or intenet access and when so your home network isn\u2019t overloaded. This will make certain you do not have any issues on conferences calls, online classes or dropping the high score of the game you may be playing together.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Make security a priority.<\/strong> If your router allows it, put your work devices on one of its networks and the kids\u2019 devices on the guest network to keep your kids from accessing internet connected things you don\u2019t want them to. Use reputable, up-to-date security software to protect every device connecting to the internet.\u00a0 Use strong passwords and change them often.\u00a0 Turn on multi-factor authentication on every app or site if it\u2019s offered, which helps make sure only you are able to login to them.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Clarify what can or can\u2019t be accessed.<\/strong> Kids are online more but should still stick to things appropriate for their age and maturity. Now is the time to revisit parental controls on routers, devices, app stores, and websites so your kids stick to age-appropriate content. With more screen time, be sure they stick to online chats\/connections that are safe.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Make sure everyone is staying physically healthy while online<\/strong>. More screen time can lead to aches & pains (eyes, neck, wrists) that you may not think about until it\u2019s too late. Make sure kids are seated with feet flat on floor, that adequate lighting is in place, and remind them to look away from the screen every 30 minutes to a distance far away for 30 seconds to protect their eyes. Encourage them to get up and walk around frequently.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<ol start=\"2\">\r\n \t<li><strong>Set the rules. <\/strong>You may be comfortable with kids being online more during this period, and may have said yes to apps or games you were holding out on, but even in this new normal, kids still need boundaries.\u00a0 Let them help you as you consider the rules and consequences of breaking them.\u00a0 Here are some rules to consider and questions to ask if you have not done so already. <strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>What is allowed?<\/strong> With more time at home, invest a few minutes to decide and maybe expand the list of apps, games, and devices your kids can use. Let them be part of researching them and why something is or isn\u2019t ok for them.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Where can they use it?<\/strong> Designate the spaces where they will use tech for school vs. fun if you can separate them. A mind shift can make a difference.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>When can they use it?<\/strong> Build a schedule of tech use, allowing for school time, connecting with friends or entertainment.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>How long are they allowed on it?<\/strong> In addition to school time, allow fun tech time balanced with outside or non-screen time. And don\u2019t worry about relaxing the rules during these times. \u00a0It\u2019s the quality not quantity that counts.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>With whom can they use it?<\/strong> Be sure they stick to online chats\/connections on social network, video chats or videogames that are safe and approved by you.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<ol start=\"3\">\r\n \t<li><strong>Set a good example (because young eyes are watching, and ears are listening). <\/strong>Work pressures can make it very easy to forget the feelings of others. Find time to support each other and acknowledge one another\u2019s space.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Set rules for yourself.<\/strong> Your kids are more likely to follow rules if they see you following rules, too.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Respect each member<\/strong> of the family\u2019s time for work or school online as well as their time offline. It can be very easy to assume something is more important than another, but it does come down to perspective and shared experiences.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Allow each person individual time<\/strong> online for socializing, entertainment, etc. Going back to our tip on boundaries, don\u2019t lose sight of the fact that all work and no play may turn you into a digital and physical zombie.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Spend time together<\/strong> as a family, both online and off. You may think because you are all under the same roof that you are \u2018together\u2019 \u2013 that isn\u2019t always the case. Make the time to sit and play a video game or a board game together. Eat meals together and keep the devices face down.\u00a0 Go for a walk, bake, or reach out to family on a video chat together whenever you can. Find ways - online or off - to help others who are in need or are risking their lives during this challenging time to put everything into perspective.\u00a0 As tough as this time might be, directing your family's energy towards helping others is helpful both to them and to you.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nOur collective experience during this global health crisis has shown that nobody has been spared the stresses of abruptly shifting our lives indoors and online.\u00a0 But taking these first steps -- setting up a healthy, safe environment, setting the rules and setting a good example -- could help you make the transition more smoothly.\u00a0 It's a foundation to help your family as you spend an increasing amount of time working and learning from home. But it will also help you once this is all over.\r\n\r\nBeyond these steps, it's still important for you and your kids to be good digital citizens. We've got more tips and resources on using the internet in safe, kind and productive ways on this site and more on the way.\r\n\r\nWe'll also be hosting a series of live events and guest experts to talk about the new challenges to families and to take your questions.\r\n\r\nFor more tips, resources and a schedule of our live Q&A events, visit internetsafety.trendmicro.com.\r\nOr follow us on Twitter @TrendMicroISKF or Facebook <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TrendMicroUS.ISKF\/\">@TrendMicroUS.ISKF<\/a>","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4,177],"tags":[173,182,183,57,184,180,185,181],"class_list":["post-1621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-parents","category-for-teachers","category-webinars","tag-covid-19","tag-distancelearning","tag-onlinesafety","tag-parents","tag-screentime","tag-stayathome","tag-videochat","tag-workingfromhome","wpautop"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1621"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1621\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}