New face mask rules & baby groups

[WombatStewForTea]

Baby groups round here are just starting up again and others getting ready for a Sept opening. The first to open has initially said parents would have to wear facemasks but then went back on it. I was relieved as honestly not sure how I'd be able to communicate properly with a 6 month old on a mask.

Then the new guidance about museums and stuff came in. But it now includes community centres in it. Considering it's easy to keep people 2m apart and not wandering around like you would in a museum/gallery surely it wouldn't be needed?
It's genuinely making me anxious (and I'm not an anxious person!) that these last few months of my mat leave where I'd clung on to baby groups reopening will be ruined. I'm sure I'll be told I'm being dramatic and we all need to do our part blah blah blah.

I've yet to hear from any of the groups as to whether masks will be expected

If you need to wear a mask and you want to go to a baby group then that's that I'm afraid. I'd do it in a heart beat if it allowed my daughter the chance to experience baby groups again.

I'm on the committee at my local community centre and we are in the process of working out how to restart our volunteer-run baby and toddler group. I'm afraid that masks have been made mandatory for community centres, so that is part of the deal (unless of course you are exempt). We are also looking at limiting numbers and making it pre-booking only. This goes against everything we normally do - open access, all welcome etc - so it's really causing us some soul searching.

However whatever we do, we have to stick to the guidelines as we want to stay open, and we want to offer something of benefit to the community, even if it's not what people are used to.

And I don't think you're being dramatic, I can remember how lonely I felt during first mat leave, and how much I relied on baby groups.

Seems odd to me as they nursery staff Rightly don’t have to wear them- if the adults can keep a part, everyone registers to attend to keep the numbers appropriate then I think they should be exempt.
I too don’t think you are dramatic, everyone likes to gang up on new mothers atm “there’s bigger issues than baby groups” blah blah...well there’s bigger issues than a pub or a holiday but doesn’t stop the masses rushing towards those when opening!

We are also looking at limiting numbers and making it pre-booking only. This goes against everything we normally do - open access, all welcome etc - so it's really causing us some soul searching.

These are the likes of baby sensory which are all pre-book only anyway and have a maximum of 10 people. I know it would be harder with the likes of turn up and play toddler groups.

I remember baby groups, and agree that they would be a bit shit in a face mask but surely better than the current situation of no baby group at all.
However, in an attempt to reassure you about communicating with your baby while wearing a mask, I am a paediatric nurse in a hospital. Some of my patients are babies who are in hospital for months, and the staff and their parents have to wear masks so they never see anyone not in a mask (though I am sure most parents take their mask off when no staff are in the room even though they aren't meant to). We obviously don't know if there are long-term implications from this, but, although it takes some getting used to, we are managing to communicate with the babies. I do keep smiling at them though even though they can't see it because it is instinct.
This wasn't meant to be pointing out that others are in a worse situation though I can see it could come across that way, just to show that communication with babies while wearing masks is possible if that's the way it has to be.

I think we'll be wearing masks everywhere before long. Like many, I don't enjoy it, but just get on with it. Even if you're SD, you have to bear in mind if you cough/sneeze then droplets are more likely to be spread to surrounding surfaces where they can lie for 3/7 days depending on the material.

What are you asking OP? That they ignore the rules because you don't like it? None of us likes it. If we want children to go back to school in September then we need to start taking this seriously again.

We've just started back at baby sensory - its been running 2 weeks so far. Reduction in numbers in class but no masks apart from the leader is wearing a visor when we come in.
Few other rules like hand gel when we come in, clean socks and we need to bring own blanket - socially distanced at all times
It doesn't quite have the same charm as previously but its good to get out and about with the little one

Presumably it would be a face covering not specifically a face mask, so you could get a clear visor if you are worried about baby not seeing your face clearly.