TOLEDO, Ohio — It's a tough time to be a kid, with no school for the last few months.
No real graduation for seniors.
Even younger kids didn't get closure.
Local experts have weighed in on kids' mental health during the coronavirus pandemic, and now a children's hospital leader in Dallas, Texas has new advice.
If your kids' sadness over staying at home or missing out on events goes beyond two weeks, it's probably time to reach out for help.
So many things are different because of COVID-19, like closed playgrounds, not set to reopen until June 10.
A lot of closures but no closure for our kids.
"First of all, it's okay to be sad about missing a milestone or having your senior year disrupted with this whole pandemic," said Jason Isham, the director of behavioral health at Children's Health Hospital in Dallas.
If your kids are having trouble, here's his advice.
He says to look for changes in your kids' sleep patterns, their eating habits, relationships in the family and with their peers or friends.
Also ask yourself if they are being isolated or acting out more than usual.
Maybe their grades started to slip or their behavior is getting worse than normal.
If this is happening, seek help.
"The thing we always talk about are changes in your child's behavior. So whatever their normal routine behavior is, are there changes to that?" said Isham.
He also says it's normal to have disappointment about birthdays or missed graduations. And, that you should celebrate their milestones in creative ways.