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Those with young kids--masks for Covid

Elizabeth35

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I am curious how those of you with young kids are handling masks for your children.
I know airlines are saying anyone over the age of 2 must wear a mask and I have seen heated arguments about this.
My kids are all in their 20's/30's now. But, I think that I would have been able to train them to wear a mask at around age 2. We did not have any kids with developmental delays so that is a different story.

My thought is that I would get my kids used to wearing masks in public. Possibly using bribes like a sticker system or a treat, even a toy. Maybe my kids were simply pretty compliant, but I feel that they would have worn a mask at age 2 without a huge issue, especially if they knew that's what big kids do. Does children's television programming promote mask wearing? Or do kids now not really watch television shows vs. using tablets?

So for those of you with toddlers---is it difficult to get a 2 YO to wear a mask?
In my area people are very mask compliant, even including small children.
 

FL_runner

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Usually if the rest of the family is wearing theirs and she’s in a decent mood my 2 y/o wears hers no prob. My older one wears hers all day with no complaints (I’m an essential worker in medicine and they go to a fantastic daycare with good covid mitigation practices in place).
 

Asscherhalo_lover

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My 4YO wears it with no issue. He understands about preventing getting sick and preventing others from getting sick. He also knows that if he wants to go somewhere he MUST wear it. I've always been pretty strict with things like that so he's used to it.

I teach students with severe disabilities (remotely for now). We read social stories about mask wearing, demonstrate it, and in general support our students' parents in getting their children to accept it. MOST eventually can but some just can't. We do continue to attempt it though.
 

Buttercookies

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I have 21 months old who initially wore her mask. After the novelty wore off, she tends to pull it off or soak her drool all over it. So if you know a trick, let me know and I’ll report how it goes. Lol
 

OoohShiny

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My concerns are around how childhood development includes learning to 'read' faces - only 7% of communication is verbal - and removing a large majority of the face from sight must surely mean issues are going to be created.

I don't believe science has yet confirmed that children can spread SARS-CoV-2 - IIRC Iceland(?) did a study and found zero instances of child to adult transmission.
 

YadaYadaYada

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Our son is older at 6, he wears a mask if we have to bring him to a store, that is rather infrequent. He is not attending school in person partially because I did not want him in a mask all day and also because it is too risky IMO.

He has been compliant about wearing it, he just knows if you want to go in the store you have to wear one and that's it. I know some of the kids in his class do not wear the masks properly, you can hear the teacher correcting them on Zoom, I imagine it is rather uncomfortable to wear one for that many hours as a young child.
 

MeowMeow

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Mine is 2 and we are having a devil of a time trying to get her to wear one. Would definitely welcome tips because right now it's not working lol.
 

Buttercookies

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Mine is 2 and we are having a devil of a time trying to get her to wear one. Would definitely welcome tips because right now it's not working lol.

Same here. Masks are uncomfortable to wear for adult much less a child. I think it’s difficult to ask 2 yo to wear for a prolong period of time esp if their brain can not comprehend that it’s good for them. Bribery only works if the reward is instantaneous. Once my toddler gets what she wants, mask goes off. I think that’s why they call it terrible two. My kid is going through her “independent” stage.
 

chemgirl

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I’m helping my sister out with my 3 year old nephew and it isn’t too difficult to convince him to wear a mask.

Luckily he’s old enough to understand rules. There are signs everywhere with pictures of masks and we all wear masks. We just tell him that he has to wear one or else we have to leave because that’s the rule. He’ll keep it on because he wants to see the farm animals or whatever social distancing activity we’re doing. He also hates any sort of negative attention so that helps.

A 2 year old would be a different story.
 

MaisOuiMadame

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Putting a mask on my 3y/o ist no problem.
Keeping it on them for more than 20-30 minutes is.

After 20 mins it's getting uncomfortable and my 3 y/o starts touching it and it gets pulled under the nose etc.
She's generally a reasonable kid - as in : if you explain it well and in a logical manner, she'll do it. So I don't think it's easy to have a 2-3 y/o wear a mask through a flight at all. Even if the flight is only 30mins, you'll be in the airport at least 1 hour, then in the air then in the airport again for at least 30 mins.
That's at least 2 hours (likely much longer).
And 2 hours without distraction at that.
And @chemgirl 's threat of leaving doesn't work in that scenario.

So I'd think there'll be about of screaming 2-4 y/olds on planes in our future.
Btw. in hot weather my 6, 9,11 and 13 y/olds get terrible headaches every day from wearing their masks all day at school. A 6y/o (nit my kid but in her classroom) fainted in class last week (intense heat & mask).
It's hard on the kids.

Masks are mandatory to wear outside over age 11 where I live, but we encourage all our kids to wear one when outside for activities with more people around (e.g. visiting the gardens of castles during weekend outings, at horse riding competitions outside). Our activities are all outside &socially distanced, but there might be some people around us.

Better safe and uncomfortable than sorry and sick!
 

qubitasaurus

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Its been illegal for anyone over the age of 1 yr old to go outside without a mask here since beginning of april. At the start my 2 yr old wasnt sure what to make out of the mask and pulled it off on several occasions -- forcing us to go directly home. Now she mostly wears it no problem. All the other 2 yr olds dont seem to have any problems either. I think everyone else is wearing one, so they just do it too.
 

123ducklings

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Jun 10, 2020
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I don't believe science has yet confirmed that children can spread SARS-CoV-2 - IIRC Iceland(?) did a study and found zero instances of child to adult transmission.

I haven’t heard of the Iceland study. I’m located in the US and there have been several outbreaks linked to childcare centers here — kids pass it to other kids who go home and then pass it to the adults in their home and beyond.
 

OoohShiny

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Its been illegal for anyone over the age of 1 yr old to go outside without a mask here since beginning of april. At the start my 2 yr old wasnt sure what to make out of the mask and pulled it off on several occasions -- forcing us to go directly home. Now she mostly wears it no problem. All the other 2 yr olds dont seem to have any problems either. I think everyone else is wearing one, so they just do it too.
1??

That is ridiculous.
 

OoohShiny

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I haven’t heard of the Iceland study. I’m located in the US and there have been several outbreaks linked to childcare centers here — kids pass it to other kids who go home and then pass it to the adults in their home and beyond.

You may well be right - I've not kept up to speed over recent weeks.

i'll have to see if I can dig out that Iceland study.
 

1ofakind

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I think my kiddos would have been OK for short times at 2. Definitely at 3. DS a bit trickier as he has some tactile issues related to clothes but as long as we'd let him wear a hat everywhere he'd probably have done it. I might have had to adapt one of his hats with a mask attachment somehow. DD I'd make a matching mask for her bear or baby to wear too. She'd have liked that.

We probably would have practiced wearing it at home too. I know that sounds odd but every time we moved we had no family or babysitters. I had to take kids along to set up bank accounts, cable, phone company, house hunting with the real estate agents and then the closing etc. So the kids came with me....and they learned how to sit quietly with a small game or book or stand patiently in a line with me etc. We practiced doing those things at home so when we had to go to the real bank it wasn't a big deal. So yeah, we would have practiced wearing masks at home too until they were used to it.
 

chemgirl

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Putting a mask on my 3y/o ist no problem.
Keeping it on them for more than 20-30 minutes is.

After 20 mins it's getting uncomfortable and my 3 y/o starts touching it and it gets pulled under the nose etc.
She's generally a reasonable kid - as in : if you explain it well and in a logical manner, she'll do it. So I don't think it's easy to have a 2-3 y/o wear a mask through a flight at all. Even if the flight is only 30mins, you'll be in the airport at least 1 hour, then in the air then in the airport again for at least 30 mins.
That's at least 2 hours (likely much longer).
And 2 hours without distraction at that.
And @chemgirl 's threat of leaving doesn't work in that scenario.

So I'd think there'll be about of screaming 2-4 y/olds on planes in our future.
Btw. in hot weather my 6, 9,11 and 13 y/olds get terrible headaches every day from wearing their masks all day at school. A 6y/o (nit my kid but in her classroom) fainted in class last week (intense heat & mask).
It's hard on the kids.

Masks are mandatory to wear outside over age 11 where I live, but we encourage all our kids to wear one when outside for activities with more people around (e.g. visiting the gardens of castles during weekend outings, at horse riding competitions outside). Our activities are all outside &socially distanced, but there might be some people around us.

Better safe and uncomfortable than sorry and sick!

I don’t really know what to say, everyone just wears masks. It took a bit of coaxing to get the kids to keep them on, but now it’s normal for them to put masks on when they leave the house. At first it did take a bit of bribery and we had to leave a few activities. They learned over the summer and now they just wear them. They wear masks at school every day and they don’t complain about it. They don’t take them off during the day. The teachers send reports home every day and there is no mention of mask problems.

My gym has a requirement that you work out in masks. My running group has a rule that you wear masks to run. We ran a half marathon all in masks on a fairly hot day and everyone was totally fine. Hot yoga, same thing. The masks aren’t that uncomfortable if you find ones made out of good fabric.

If this thread is referring to the woman on American Airlines, read what she said. She was clearly a tired traveller who was combative with airline staff. That alone will get you kicked off of the airplane. She used the word suffocating multiple times and asked if she should just duct tape her child’s face. Obviously the staff is going to label her as a problem. Adding: Apparently she just wants an apology from the airline, but she hasn’t answered their calls because she wants them to talk to her lawyers...ok...this isn’t about an apology.
 
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missy

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1??

That is ridiculous.

I have to agree. I cannot imagine making a one year old wear a mask for more than a short period of time.
 

OoohShiny

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I don’t really know what to say, everyone just wears masks. It took a bit of coaxing to get the kids to keep them on, but now it’s normal for them to put masks on when they leave the house. At first it did take a bit of bribery and we had to leave a few activities. They learned over the summer and now they just wear them. They wear masks at school every day and they don’t complain about it. They don’t take them off during the day. The teachers send reports home every day and there is no mention of mask problems.

My gym has a requirement that you work out in masks. My running group has a rule that you wear masks to run. We ran a half marathon all in masks on a fairly hot day and everyone was totally fine. Hot yoga, same thing. The masks aren’t that uncomfortable if you find ones made out of good fabric.

If this thread is referring to the woman on American Airlines, read what she said. She was clearly a tired traveller who was combative with airline staff. That alone will get you kicked off of the airplane. She used the word suffocating multiple times and asked if she should just duct tape her child’s face. Obviously the staff is going to label her as a problem. Adding: Apparently she just wants an apology from the airline, but she hasn’t answered their calls because she wants them to talk to her lawyers...ok...this isn’t about an apology.

Whereabouts are you, chemgirl?

Running or exercising in masks sounds like hell, I am usually half-dying anyway when doing it, nevermind being unable to breathe freely.
 

missy

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Whereabouts are you, chemgirl?

Running or exercising in masks sounds like hell, I am usually half-dying anyway when doing it, nevermind being unable to breathe freely.

We have to do it here too. Wear masks in the gym or while doing PT. It’s not impossible though it can be challenging especially when it’s warm. And when one has asthma. We’re in the NY/NJ area. It’s the responsible thing to do. If one doesn’t want to wear a mask don’t go to public places like gyms or join running groups etc.
 

chemgirl

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Whereabouts are you, chemgirl?

Running or exercising in masks sounds like hell, I am usually half-dying anyway when doing it, nevermind being unable to breathe freely.

Ontario.

It’s required in the gym and yoga, but not while running outside. However, we are supposed to be sticking to 10 person bubbles so my running group organizers added the mask rule for team workouts. I’d rather work out without one, but it’s not the worst thing ever.

Adding: Run slower! If you’re half-dying you’re just going a bit too fast! I do it too, I start to feel gross and then check my pace.
 

Arcadian

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No kids here, but what I've learned is you have to make it fun. And the masks have to be fun/cute. my great nieces/nephews loves their masks. because they're so much fun (I tried to use very fun and relatable fabric) plus they're unique looking amongst their friends. So far, no one came home with anyone elses mask...lol

Also under 2 years of age, its not recommended that they wear a mask for various reasons.
 

Calliecake

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@Arcadian , I loved the butterfly mask you made your great niece. I would have a hard time getting my great niece to take the butterfly mask off.
 

qubitasaurus

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1??

That is ridiculous.

This might be my fault. Ive been indexing arrays for criptocyphers so Ive become annaly retentive about my greater than equal to statements and have probably obfuscated to the point where im wrong. I actually meant anyone 2 yrs old and over needs to wear a mask. I think a day or two ago it got raised to 6 yrs old and over as we've now basically eliminated the virus. It clearly worked as a strategy as we started with an out of control outbreak with very high numbers for a very small country (one of the worst in the world) and bow have ~10 cases a day almost all from people who are assymptomatic (here they test people at random to pick up asymptomatic cases).
 

OoohShiny

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This might be my fault. Ive been indexing arrays for criptocyphers so Ive become annaly retentive about my greater than equal to statements and have probably obfuscated to the point where im wrong. I actually meant anyone 2 yrs old and over needs to wear a mask. I think a day or two ago it got raised to 6 yrs old and over as we've now basically eliminated the virus. It clearly worked as a strategy as we started with an out of control outbreak with very high numbers for a very small country (one of the worst in the world) and bow have ~10 cases a day almost all from people who are assymptomatic (here they test people at random to pick up asymptomatic cases).

6 is more reasonable... lol

Remind me again where you are? I'm sure you've said before but I can't remember :oops:

I'm not *personally* convinced you will see no more virus outbreaks - it seems as though even if a country locks down extremely hard and mandates compulsory masking everywhere, it still does its virus thing!
 

qubitasaurus

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6 is more reasonable... lol

Remind me again where you are? I'm sure you've said before but I can't remember :oops:

I'm not *personally* convinced you will see no more virus outbreaks - it seems as though even if a country locks down extremely hard and mandates compulsory masking everywhere, it still does its virus thing!

We are living in singapore. For a very small population it had quite a bad outbreak which was severely exascerbarted by the fact that people were living too close together -- I think this might have the distinction of being the most densely populated country/region on earth (It would be beaten by hong kong if you don't count the teritories of hong kong which are designated as parks as part of hong kongs land footprint -- otherwise I believe singapore is number 1). I doubt its over, we're opening our borders to Japan right at the moment so there will inevitably be future waves. I think theyre relying on the fact that the measures theyve got in place clearly work.
 

monarch64

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Not sure what I would’ve done if my child were around the 2 year mark and this happened. She always had a good/easy temperament but there were things she wouldn’t put up with and we just rolled with it. We took her on her first flight at 3 and she just happily sat in her seat singing Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, haha. She always wore sunglasses and still loves them so maybe she would have also been amenable to a mask. If she saw us doing something, she wanted to do it, too.

She’s 8 now and has to wear a mask all day at school. They can remove them for 30 minutes while they eat at their desks. So for 6.5 hours she is in a mask 5 days a week. It hasn’t been that big of a deal, and she’s been back to school for 6 weeks already. (Wow time is flying.) There have been zero cases at her school, which is K-8.
We did things outdoors all summer, parks and horseback riding and botanical gardens, and I just got tickets for a Halloween lightscape in Indy for late October so I bought her the warmest Patagonia kids jacket I could find. I’ve also bought a lot more cold weather gear for myself this year because we are NOT spending the fall/winter locked up inside! It’s hiking here or I’m driving us south on the weekends to do outdoor stuff there if it gets too cold here. Our ice rinks and skating rinks are open but limited capacity so I worry we won’t be able to get in. I’ve already run into issues getting tickets for preferred entry times for things 3 months out. Blah. It’s gonna be a long winter.
 
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