TOLEDO, Ohio — They don't have all the answers yet. That's what Ohio Department Health Director Dr. Amy Acton says about the coronavirus pandemic.
That's also her statement when it comes to helping children cope with their "new normal" routines.
Acton said she has been thinking a lot lately about how the stay-at-home order and the coronavirus fight is affecting kids and even how her own grandson might react.
Acton has a lot on her plate, giving daily briefings on coronavirus cases in Ohio and how to best protect ourselves. But on Tuesday, she addressed how to get our kids through these tough times.
She admitted she doesn't know how to best guide them through this, but she promised to dig deeper with friends of hers who are in the business of helping young people.
She said it's even sad for many parents, whose kids are dealing with being separated from their friends and don't have the stability of being in school.
She also said she wants to learn from the past, from the 1918 flu, to be specific, on how kids navigated that challenge over 100 years ago.
"I think their lives are going to be marked by this and I know at home we are all trying to do it in a way that creates a new normal and routines and doesn't cause fear. But of course, kids are very perceptive and they pick up on our emotions and fear. And that's really a tremendous challenge for all of us," Acton said.
She said every scientist, economist, and world leader is trying to find the right "next steps" to get everyone through this crisis.
And she will focus more of her time on helping kids.
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