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Original poster

Flying with children - masks

71 replies

Ricepops · 17/10/2021 17:46

Hoping for some advice on this. We are considering travelling to the US at Christmas to see our family. It's a 7 hour flight and we would all be required to wear masks for the 7 hour flight, including my 4 and 7 year olds. Has anyone done this and how did it go? The masks for the kids are my main concern.

OP posts:
dapplegreypony · 17/10/2021 21:21

Oh I'd be dreading this too OP I think all you can do is keep enforcing it and keep putting the masks on if your dc try to take them off. Perhaps lots of in flight toys and entertainment to distract.

What are the rules in entry with children to US? I'm also looking to go but can't work out the rules around dc travelling. I know adults have to be vaccinated

LuchiMangsho · 17/10/2021 21:23

Also you may find that depending where you go kids are also required to be masked indoors (some places still have indoor mask mandates) so it won’t just be for the flight. Ours was reintroduced in August after having been briefly lifted.

LuchiMangsho · 17/10/2021 21:25

So if you go to the movies or the grocery store or even shopping where I live you do need to be masked (including kids).

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Flying Holidays
saltedcaramelanything · 17/10/2021 21:45

@dapplegreypony anyone over 2yrs old needs a negative test to get in the the US

Lots of places will require anyone 2yrs an up wear a mask (theatres, museums, etc) as well as proof of vaccination for anyone 16+ (though that age will probably drop as the US is vaccinating younger children)

RoseRedRoseBlue · 17/10/2021 21:48

When do people think this airline masking requirement will end?

Mybalconyiscracking · 17/10/2021 21:51

Well, this is fucking ridiculous, as if wearing a bloody mask makes any difference when you are sharing the same space with 300 people for 8 hours. It is a placebo for the stupid, why are we putting up with this? When did we stop being customers?

Clymene · 17/10/2021 21:51

Children in other countries wear them for hours on end. Is there something special about British children? Confused

LuchiMangsho · 17/10/2021 21:52

Well it’s not compulsory to fly or to visit the US…

Clymene · 17/10/2021 21:53

@Mybalconyiscracking

Well, this is fucking ridiculous, as if wearing a bloody mask makes any difference when you are sharing the same space with 300 people for 8 hours. It is a placebo for the stupid, why are we putting up with this? When did we stop being customers?
No, what is stupid is not understanding how HEPA filtration works

www.iata.org/contentassets/f1163430bba94512a583eb6d6b24aa56/cabin-air-quality.pdf

DunderMifflinSalesRep · 17/10/2021 21:57

The World Health Organisation states that children aged 5 and under should not wear masks at all, and for children aged 6-11 there should be considerations such as their ability to wear the mask properly taken into account. Bloody ridiculous that kids under 5 are being made to wear them.

CarbonMonoxideParty · 17/10/2021 22:11

Surely everyone knows this rule by now? If it's going to be an issue- don't book and go? Ridiculous or not/ helpful or not -it's a rule.

It's like booking flights and complaining about having to queue for boarding, or 2 yo kids having to have their own seats.

This is the new world. Just don't go if the kids can't hack it.

MrsKoala · 17/10/2021 22:36

Surely everyone knows this rule by now? If it's going to be an issue- don't book and go? Ridiculous or not/ helpful or not -it's a rule.

The holiday we’ll be taking the kids on next week is our re-booked 4 times holiday from May 2020. I would have thought twice about booking knowing the kids need masks and all the other hassles too. I’m hoping they will be fine and it’s just me worrying.

I understand people saying other kids have had to wear them in other countries but I think the concern is because they aren’t used to it and will be in a stressful/exciting environment.

Farwest · 18/10/2021 00:12

@MrsKoala

Surely everyone knows this rule by now? If it's going to be an issue- don't book and go? Ridiculous or not/ helpful or not -it's a rule.

The holiday we’ll be taking the kids on next week is our re-booked 4 times holiday from May 2020. I would have thought twice about booking knowing the kids need masks and all the other hassles too. I’m hoping they will be fine and it’s just me worrying.

I understand people saying other kids have had to wear them in other countries but I think the concern is because they aren’t used to it and will be in a stressful/exciting environment.

You can rebook a 5th time. It's a holiday, so it could wait. Or you could practise masking at home to get your dc used to it. It's not a lovely experience for anyone, but this angst over children wearing masks is rather irritating given how ubiquitous it is in other places. A child who can wear a mask for an hour at home can wear one for 7 hours on a plane. No problem. Just have spares and be ready with gentle reminders to adjust it back into place. They will be fine.
Foldinthecheese · 18/10/2021 00:21

We moved to the US in April. My 5yo twins wore their masks for most of the flight. My 2yo did not, but we were one of three groups on the flight, so flight attendants were not as strict.

What I will say is that they have all completely acclimated to wearing masks now. I have to remind them to take them off. My 2yo asks for hers when we go in somewhere. Also, I can count on one hand the number of cases my boys have had in their school, where they’re required to wear masks indoors. That’s a stark contrast to schools in areas without mask mandates. Just try to avoid masks with a tightening mechanism behind the ears, as this gets uncomfortable when wearing headphones, as they’re likely to do on a plane.

ZZTopGuitarSolo · 18/10/2021 02:06

We’ve flown a lot recently. I haven’t seen any children struggling with wearing masks. I think they just take it for granted. If you’re going at Christmas you’ve got plenty of time for them to get used to it. In many states they are required in all public indoor settings.

On international flights they did allow people to take their masks off while eating a meal. On local US flights they are asking passengers to just pull their masks down while taking a bite or sipping a drink, then put them back up in between.

By Christmas it’s likely that in many states the majority of 5-12s will be fully vaccinated. I’m not sure how this will affect making rules.

DriftingBlue · 18/10/2021 02:18

Try a few different styles of masks to find what each child likes best.

My dd doesn’t like to have anything on her ears so we use a style that goes around her head.

Mybalconyiscracking · 18/10/2021 08:27

Actually I understand perfectly how HEPA filtration works, being a validation engineer. If we were all wearing masks with accredited HEPA filters then that would be different obviously, but two layers of old sheet tied to your ears with elastic really won’t cut it. And who isn’t going to fiddle with their masks in all that time, get virus on their hands and spread it on every surface?

PersephoneJames · 18/10/2021 08:33

Kids just get on with it, I think it’s worse for parents worrying about them than it is for the kids, my 4 year old wanted to wear one to be like her big sister! Get the paper medical type ones as they’re the most lightweight and breathable.

SoupDragon · 18/10/2021 08:51

I agree, kids just get on with it. It's adults who make all the fuss about "muzzles" and "filthy rags" and "placebo". Pathetic really.

Anyway, we had to wear them for our 8 hour flight this summer. It wasn't that difficult really (although my kids are all older). Remember that you should change them every few hours though - I can't remember what length of time they said.

Grapesoda7 · 18/10/2021 09:09

I know the mask mandate on US transport is untill 18th January, I'm not sure if they'll extend it after that. It will be lovely to see your family, but I understand its a really long time for children not used to masks.

ZZTopGuitarSolo · 18/10/2021 15:24

@MrsKoala

Surely everyone knows this rule by now? If it's going to be an issue- don't book and go? Ridiculous or not/ helpful or not -it's a rule.

The holiday we’ll be taking the kids on next week is our re-booked 4 times holiday from May 2020. I would have thought twice about booking knowing the kids need masks and all the other hassles too. I’m hoping they will be fine and it’s just me worrying.

I understand people saying other kids have had to wear them in other countries but I think the concern is because they aren’t used to it and will be in a stressful/exciting environment.

Kids in other countries weren't used to it till they had to do it either. They went from not wearing masks to wearing them all day in all sorts of locations under very stressful conditions.

I'm sure most British kids can do this too, if their parents would just stop convincing them that they can't.

MrsKoala · 18/10/2021 18:23

I’m sure they weren’t and I’m sure some of their parents also were concerned they might find it difficult. Where has anyone said they’ve convinced their kids they can’t wear them? Perhaps some of us know our child a little better than you and know what they may struggle with.

Ds1 (9) will be fine - he has SN but is rigid and loves rules. Ds2 (7) is currently being diagnosed with ADHD and he can barely sit still. Gentle reminders don’t work as he has forgotten what I’ve said as I’m saying it. It’s all we can do to stop him kicking and hanging off the seat in front (we always sit one of us in front of him). He may be okay, it could go either way. We’ve bought a variety of masks, spoken very positively and practiced. Doesn’t stop me internally worrying that he’ll have a meltdown on the plane though.

We are just lucky they don’t want dd (5 this week) to wear one as she has severe sensory issues and won’t wear most clothes, no hats etc and even has short hair because a clip/band in it makes her scream and rip her hair out. I think I’d rather lose the money than force a mask on her for 9 hours!

You can rebook a 5th time. It's a holiday, so it could wait. unfortunately not. It was now or lose the money.

GiveMeNovocain · 18/10/2021 18:26

@2018SoFarSoGreat

I'm in the US.

Little ones are so resilient! My 4 and 10 year old DGSs have worn masks for long periods totally without question or complaint, including at school and after care for 10 hour days.

Everything about a flight is new and interesting and exciting. Wearing the masks will just be part of that.

Resilience is for systems. Compassion is for people.
Anothermuddywalk · 18/10/2021 19:10

We did a four hour flight with my 5 year old and he was mostly fine with wearing one the whole time - we bought disposable ones for children, and practiced at home while watching TV etc for a bit so he was used to it. We had to change it a few times as it got pretty soggy during the flight, so take plenty of spare ones!

UsedUpUsername · 18/10/2021 19:19

So I had this issue when visiting the US in summer. I was beside myself with worry as I’ve seen all those videos of families getting kicked off flights.

So I tried to train my three-year-old by lots of praise and practice in the weeks beforehand, but they really weren’t having it. Like literally off within minutes.

Luckily the long haul flight didn’t care (not a US carrier so didn’t really care about the kids in masks) and only had a very short domestic at the end.

No one hassled me at the airport for having an unmasked child. The flight attendant didn’t care and didn’t ask me to mask up my child.

So, it really depends on the humanity of the staff you are dealing with. I looked like a harried mother alone with her children, I think that really helped bring out sympathy and some measure of human feeling.

My family live in a red state so all I had to do was get there, though.

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