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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU: If They Make Children Wear Masks, I'm Homeschooling

184 replies

DamnYankee · 06/05/2020 00:51

Social distancing at our schools is not possible.
I would love to get back to work in the fall as a public school teacher. However, we are being asked/encouraged (over the age of 3) to wear masks in public places.
My DD (11) panics when she has to wear a mask for more than 20 minutes. I get it. I get a headache after 30 minutes.
I understand this is projecting, but just keeps going through my mind...
Ugh.

OP posts:
DaisylovesDonald · 06/05/2020 00:54

My youngest (5) would probably try to go along with it but of course would fail, because he’s 5.
My eldest (8) has a lot of sensory issues relating to textures and clothes. He would go into total meltdown over having to wear a mask. He can’t cope with wearing a soft jumper or long soft trousers. I’ve already assured him he won’t have to wear a mask. I don’t think they would make primary age children here wear them.... I hope I’m right!

Original poster
DamnYankee · 06/05/2020 01:06

I'm not even ok with secondary school children wearing them.
"Itty-bitties" like yours - nearly impossible. And not humane.
I'm in speech pathology. Cannot deliver therapy with a mask on. Totally prepared to hand-sanitize, spray down doorknobs, games, etc. But my students will want hugs. Ok with that.
We've got a school district that is known for extreme measures.Ugh.

OP posts:
Humina · 06/05/2020 01:13

It'd be unbearable in the heat in British schools with no air con.

I wouldn't put my kids through that, I don't think.

Procrastination4 · 06/05/2020 01:15

I’m a teacher. If they ask us to wear masks I’ll jolly well get used to them and wear one. Better safe than sorry. I don’t know how anyone could go out in public in London without a mask now.

SachaStark · 06/05/2020 01:21

I’m guessing by your use of terminology that you are in the US? I think the attitudes over there re: dealing with the virus have been quite different?

I supply in secondary schools, and I suppose it would depend which schools I were to go into, how big and well-ventilated the classrooms are, the general behaviour of the students, and how many students to expect in the room would all affect my decision regarding whether I would go in to supply for them with/without the students wearing face masks.

I wear one all morning every day whilst I’m volunteering, they’re honestly not that bad at all. Other than if there are sensory issues, I really can’t see why adults would object to wearing them? Teenagers I get, as they tend to be naturally contradictory creatures.

1forAll74 · 06/05/2020 01:38

Some children might well like a mask, and do it up as a fun thing, like going to a halloween party etc,

ineedaholidaynow · 06/05/2020 01:43

Other countries seem to ask children to wear masks, I’ve seen schoolchildren in China wearing them, but maybe it is something they are more used to doing eg for pollution

Original poster
DamnYankee · 06/05/2020 02:35

@SachaStark
In the US. Everyone in our community has been very compliant. Can't speak for other states...
I agree about teens. DS will probably be ok. He's quite the class clown, so maybe it will help Grin
Just worried about my youngest.
And I got quite the headache after my 45 (?) minute shopping trip.
Would not wear one as a teacher. But not sure what to do about hugs.

OP posts:
iVampire · 06/05/2020 03:20

Discourage hugs

I think in extremis comfort will be given. But it won’t be a norm. For you don’t know which pupils have extremely medically vulnerable family members. Although DC only get the disease very mildly, it is possible to be infectious even when a symptomatic.

So schools will be something of a hazard - not simply to the pupils but to their households. So efforts to reduce likelihood of spread there are in everyone’s interests

Widowodiw · 06/05/2020 03:27

Ffs it’s a mask, for most children it would be fine. I love the way Kate ya have been doing homeschooling for 5 mins and think that qualifies them do do it long term and use every excuse to qualify that decision.

araiwa · 06/05/2020 03:33

Go for it then

Original poster
DamnYankee · 06/05/2020 04:52

@Widowodiw
I have no idea what your post means.

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 06/05/2020 05:03

This would be the death of any meaningful education and social interaction for children with low hearing levels. It’s hard enough got them already. Considering the evidence for healthy people wearing masks is so weak, I would be totally against mask wearing in schools.

PurpleDaisies · 06/05/2020 05:03

Other than if there are sensory issues, I really can’t see why adults would object to wearing them?

Because they seriously affect communication.

Purpleartichoke · 06/05/2020 05:08

I’m not sure what we will do. Dd has sensory issues. We already have to carefully curate her clothing and food. I have made her several masks trying to find one she can handle. She is ok for a few minutes, but I don’t know that she can manage all day no matter what design improvements I make.

She doesn’t want to homeschool because she loves the social aspects of school. Academically, distance learning is fantastic for her. Tons of project based work and the ability to speed through the easy stuff. It’s an educational dream, but she misses her friends. Ultimately, she may be the one making the decision.

It also presents an interesting legal question. Sensory issues are not supposed to exclude a student from attending school. she has the right to accommodations. So far that is things like wearing noise canceling headphones during tests and being allowed to write in pen instead of pencil or type whenever possible. I’m not sure what the reasonable accommodation is for someone who can’t tolerate a mask.

And just to be clear, I fully believe in wearing masks. I am severely claustrophobic and I am fighting panic attacks every time I leave the house at this point because I am forcing myself to wear the damn torture device.

Reginabambina · 06/05/2020 05:13

@SachaStark have you tried wearing one in a warm environment? We had to wear some medical grade ones for about an hour in 25 degree weather outside in the shade so not that hot. We were drenched in sweat and not able to breathe properly despite barely moving or talking. The kids masks were positively saturated by the time we were allowed to take them off. I can’t see children wearing these all day long while doing lessons and playing with friends. Not to mention they’ll have to take them off anyway every time they eat/drink and for music lessons. It’s seems like an awful lot of discomfort for little benefit.

thatmustbenigelwiththebrie · 06/05/2020 05:56

The bloke who runs our corner shop wears a mask. Yesterday as I walked past he was standing outside, moved his mask aside and hawked up a big bit of phlegm into the pavement. Kind of defeats the purpose...

Anycrispsleft · 06/05/2020 07:05

I live in Germany and our lockdown is starting to ease, with masks required in shops etc. @DamnYankee my DD has just started back at speech therapy and the therapist has put up a perspex screen in her desk, and has the children wash their hands before and after the session. We wear masks in the way in though, and I agree that it won't be practical to have them in school - after we walked up the stairs with masks on, DD started to panic at feeling short of breath and we had to go outside. We've anyway been told that they won't have to wear masks at school and I hope that's right.

araiwa · 06/05/2020 07:34

40 degrees here and i wear a mask

rawlikesushi · 06/05/2020 07:47

If schools decide that children need to wear masks to keep their teaching staff safe, I'll make it a condition of dc returning to school.

Yes, they make communication difficult, and are hot, and some children find them uncomfortable. But I think the health of the adults in the room trumps all of that tbh.

totallyyesno · 06/05/2020 07:51

It's something you get used to. At first it's hard but that's partly because it feels weird. Allowances will be made for children with sensory problems. Also there are lots of different types of mask, some are very lightweight.

SallyLovesCheese · 06/05/2020 07:52

Hearing impaired teacher here. Wearing masks all day in school is going to seriously affect my ability to do my job.

They won't make communication "difficult", they'll make it downright impossible.

MrsT1405 · 06/05/2020 07:53

If masks are wet they are of no use. Medics change their masks regularly and dispose of them properly and carefully. Putting them on and off is of no use and certainly children cant do it in a safe manner. Hand washing is the way. Time spent before, during and after lessons would be better.

Cloudiay · 06/05/2020 07:55

What a good opportunity to add sign language into the curriculum. We learnt it at primary school because one of our classmates was profoundly deaf, it's actually been a really useful skill, and due to the way 'words' are broken down a good tool to aiding with some elements of English.

whattodo2019 · 06/05/2020 07:58

I agree that here in the U.K. thoughts are different to the US. I would be more than happy to wear a mask and for my children to if it gives others (and possibly the wearer) a degree of protection.
It's not hot in the U.K. so I can't see it being a huge problem wearing a mask without air con.
We have to think about containing this virus, not spreading it to the most venerable and trying to get the children back in school and the economy boosted