Goldie Hawn believes coronavirus pandemic can have positive effect on children

Goldie Hawn wants parents to use the Covid-19 pandemic to spend more time with their children so it has a positive effect on their character.

The Hollywood superstar, who has three adult children, two with ex Bill Hudson, and one with longtime partner Kurt Russell, is a prominent children's mental health advocate, with her offering educational programmes through her Goldie Hawn Foundation.

Although she worries Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown measures will harm kids in difficult circumstances, the Death Becomes Her star believes it could have a positive effect by teaching children how to cope with hardship and by giving parents more contact time.

"The grit that we want children to have is to understand that we can't fix everything for them," she told U.K. breakfast TV show Good Morning Britain.

"The positive effects of this pandemic are actually quite a few, because parents are at home with their children... the reality is that children will feel more secure and happier (being with their parents). It's actually an extraordinary time that we will never get again."

However, the 74-year-old admitted she regularly cries when thinking about those children who may be confined in unhappy or abusive homes.

"We are very lucky and I'm incredibly grateful, but I do feel a tremendous angst and a tremendous sadness," she added. "I find every day I cry probably three times a day because it hurts me to think that there is abuse going on, anger going on and this all has to do with confinement, fear and uncertainty about what is going to happen."

Goldie went on to say that youngsters facing difficulties need a "brain break" that can "calm" them and to be given the "tools" to manage their minds.