Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Do you make your child under 11 wear a mask?

114 replies

PickACoolUserName · 13/08/2020 09:06

Or under 5 if you live in Scotland.

We haven't taken the kids anywhere where masks would be required so I haven't really given it much consideration but I've noticed when out grocery shopping that quite a few young children seem to be wearing them.

My understanding is that it's not compulsory for children under 11 (5 in Scotland) so I was curious about how many people are getting their young children to wear them. Also what are your reasons for your choice, and how does your child feel about them?

DS who is 8 has sensory issues and I'm dreading the day when / if he has to wear one. I think DD who is 4 would be fine though.

OP posts:
ThisLittleLady · 13/08/2020 09:42

I don’t make them but they chose to. I got them the neck warmer type ones which they seem to prefer. But everyone else is wearing them so I’ve not had much if any refusal from them.

yawnsvillex · 13/08/2020 09:42

What you going to do when the novelty wears off? Make them then?

Original poster
PickACoolUserName · 13/08/2020 09:45

Gosh lots of people getting uppity about my use of the word "make". I'm not talking about forcefully strapping one on. Hmm

Interesting range of responses. It's not been an issue for us. We live rurally, don't use public transport, and rarely went round shops anyway so all we've been doing is a weekly grocery shop with one parent staying home with the kids. I do have masks for them if they ever need to go to hospital or the GP but thankfully that has not been needed.

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Clothing Families
LittleBearPad · 13/08/2020 09:45

No, we have them but I haven’t insisted yet beyond one shop which was the first we went in - the 5 year old hates his and the the 8 year old isn’t keen

edwinbear · 13/08/2020 09:45

DD is 8 and DS 10. Neither have any sensory issues and are happy to wear them. They understand why it's necessary and I think there is definitely a novelty factor there. I do try to not take them to places where they need to wear them though, so if I'm going to the supermarket, I leave DC with DH unless he isn't around.

They both understand that it's not mandatory at their ages but it's the right thing to do, also that some people can't wear them because of medical issues, but as they are able to, they should do the right thing and wear them.

Bupkis · 13/08/2020 09:47

Ds is 10, he doesn't wear one. We have tried a few different ones (as we are aware he may need to wear one for hospital appointments) but it has been very hard to get him to keep it on/not touch it constantly. We are tending to stay away from places where they need to be worn when he is with us.

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 13/08/2020 09:49

What do you do when the novelty of wearing trousers (or shorts/shirts) wears off? Seriously?

Children wear masks when required just like they wear underwear and trousers/ shorts/ whatever. They don't wear them because it's a novelty. Ours have been wearing them since March.

NT children will only refuse to wear them if their parents indicate, directly or indirectly, that doing so is an option. Most ND children can wear them too, with support to get used to them and pick one that they prefer.

You can get children's masks. My 9 year old has his own. If they become compulsory for children in the UK presumably you'll be able to buy children's ones easily in every supermarket, as you can here.

LockdownMayhem · 13/08/2020 09:49

I have an 11 yr old (so need to anyway) and an 8 yr old with ASD and ADHD. We went down the route of 'this is what we need to do' with the 8 yr old as we felt it was better to start that way and review if we needed to because of sensory issues, rather than giving a choice.

To the pp saying about the hysteria in the UK and on MN about wearing masks, I have to say where I live, I see very few people not complying, even smaller kids than mine seem to be wearing them. So perhaps there are areas where people are more reluctant, or maybe the media are only reporting on the few who have an issue, but from what I am seeing, the majority are just getting in with it.

SisyphusAndTheRockOfUntidiness · 13/08/2020 09:50

Whenever we go somewhere masks are required, DD (8) wears a mask. It's her choice. We told her that she should probably get used to wearing a mask as a) the government might extend mask wearing to children at some point, & b) this virus situation could possibly last for years, & she's not so far off the age that she would need to wear one. She doesn't mind, feels more grown up, & safer (she's a bit scared of the virus) even though we told her that young children are generally least likely to have serious illness if they catch it.

OptimisticSix · 13/08/2020 09:50

Yes and they don't mind. They chose their own and had fun choosing them. They get a bit hot someimes but aside from that they're not bothered by them.

yawnsvillex · 13/08/2020 09:51

But kids in the U.K. DONT need to wear them under 11?

IamTomHanks · 13/08/2020 09:51

What you going to do when the novelty wears off? Make them then?

We've been wearing them since March. The novelty wore off long ago, and soon they will be wearing them all day at school. It's not a novelty now, it's an article of clothing and it seems odd not to wear one.

YewHedge · 13/08/2020 09:52

Yes. My 9 year old has asthma (as do I) so it's important we both wear masks.
He is very happy to wear one and understands why it's important.

LittleBearPad · 13/08/2020 09:52

NT children will only refuse to wear them if their parents indicate, directly or indirectly, that doing so is an option.

But it is an option. They don’t have to do it.

LittleBearPad · 13/08/2020 09:54

@YewHedge

Yes. My 9 year old has asthma (as do I) so it's important we both wear masks. He is very happy to wear one and understands why it's important.
Why is it important? Masks don’t stop you getting Covid.

You as asthmatics aren’t going to infect people with Covid anymore than non-asthmatics.

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 13/08/2020 09:56

Ds (5) wears one unwillingly if he goes anywhere with dh which requires one. Dd (2) wants to wear one because everyone else is if she goes with them. We're in Scotland.

BlackberrySky · 13/08/2020 09:56

Yes, because I only have one under 11 now so it seems a bit odd him not wearing one when we all are.

EdwardCullensBiteOnTheSide · 13/08/2020 09:56

3year old dd wants to wear one in shop to be like me. Absolutely no harm in it so she does. Haven't taken my 6+7 year olds anywhere to require it but they do keep asking for a patterned mask.
In the winter months I think it will be sensible for them to wear them tbh.

Nighttimefreedom · 13/08/2020 09:56

My 7 year old, no I haven't got one for her. If it was made compulsory though I wouldn't have an issue with it.

My 12 year old who of course has to wear one doesn't have an issue with it and takes one with him in his pocket when he goes out incase he needs it.

beabettermum · 13/08/2020 09:56

I have a cute one for my 4 year old
I let her pick the design.

She doesnt always wear it though.

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 13/08/2020 09:56

LockdownMayhem absolutely. I am outside the UK and so don't really know what the reality is in an overall sense. Going by MN, UK TV and radio and talking to family and friends in the UK I get the impression that huge numbers of people are insisting that they "can't" wear masks, and that this idea has been normalised, when my experience where I live (working in healthcare) is that hardly anyone genuinely can't - some people need to get used to them slowly at home/ need support but the number of people who genuinely can't is tiny. As long as only the occasional person doesn't wear one they're assumed to have a good reason - as soon as swathes of people aren't wearing them some are statistically highly likely to be piss takers.

AllsortsofAwkward · 13/08/2020 09:57

We just been to Scotland and my.4 year old wore his spiderman mask was a struggle at times as he was warm but it was required when we went to the zoo, my 7 year old wears it here all the time and had no problems wearing it for the zoo.

LittleBearPad · 13/08/2020 09:58

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

LockdownMayhem absolutely. I am outside the UK and so don't really know what the reality is in an overall sense. Going by MN, UK TV and radio and talking to family and friends in the UK I get the impression that huge numbers of people are insisting that they "can't" wear masks, and that this idea has been normalised, when my experience where I live (working in healthcare) is that hardly anyone genuinely can't - some people need to get used to them slowly at home/ need support but the number of people who genuinely can't is tiny. As long as only the occasional person doesn't wear one they're assumed to have a good reason - as soon as swathes of people aren't wearing them some are statistically highly likely to be piss takers.
The vast majority of people are wearing masks - MN and the media and their mask obsessions aren’t reflective of reality at all.
SisyphusAndTheRockOfUntidiness · 13/08/2020 09:58

@LockdownMayhem - agree! Where I live also, most people are complying. Despite being just on the border of one of the areas of enhanced lockdown due to higher transmission & poor compliance. Not sure why - and it's not just an attitude of " let's not let that happen to us" - we have family living over the border in the locked down area & the general attitude hasn't changed, nor has it here. We see almost total compliance even among the very elderly, & lots of young children wearing masks too. Whereas the family in the locked down area, & other friends etc on FB, mention almost zero compliance in supermarkets, & (understandable) reluctance by staff to challenge customers as they may get violent if challenged.

madcow88 · 13/08/2020 10:00

My DD 9 has one but she is severely asthmatic so she doesn't like wearing it so I don't force her.

Swipe left for the next trending thread