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

[DamnYankee]

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.

I'd love to have BSL standard on the curriculum, but it will still be difficult to use wearing a mask because non-manual features are such a large part of it. Not to mention the number of signs where you touch your face! I tried to sign yesterday without touching my face and forgot, time and again.

I don't see the big problem - masks are widely used in Asia by everyone, surely it's just a case of getting used to them.

You might be able to get back to normal life if you do this one small thing, economy could start recovering, kids could go back to school.

No no no OP you chuck your toys on the floor and refuse, your poor children, god forbid them having to wear a mask over their face (remember it's not the frightful gas masks the kids were given in the war). 🙄

People are dying, the economy is being crippled, wear a mask if they ask you and get your children to follow your example.

Aren’t they weird, these people who are too selfish to stop hugs, despite the circumstances . Listen huggers, get a teddybear. Hug that. Don’t hug my child as school. You may think it’s necessary , my child may agree. But still don’t do it.

@araiwa I’m guessing your air conditioned buildings helps with that

Oh yeah and grow the f up and sew a stack of nice soft comfortable masks in amusing prints for your children. Stop projecting your ideas about masks onto your kids.

What a good opportunity to add sign language into the curriculum.

BSL users are terrified compulsory masks wearing will be introduced. Lip pattern and facial expression is absolutely key to being able to communicate.

I would love to see more signing in schools (taught by suitable qualified and proficient, ideally deaf signers) but it’s not any way a solution to communicating effectively wearing a mask.

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.
What the hell are you blabbering on about ??

I'm not sure homemade masks will offer much protection. They'd need to be medical quality surely?

I don’t know how anyone could go out in public in London without a mask now.

Because we socially distances, like the rest of the country. We’re not all one heaving mass

We’ve been consistently told they don’t work well if not proper medical grade and changed constantly like in hospitals, when did this change? I have anxiety issues and asthma that cause breathing issues and find wearing a mask for even a short time very stressful as I can’t breath normally

I don't understand why people are making a fuss about masks. I wonder if there was such a fuss about having to carry a bulky gas mask around with you in the war.

They won't be making it happen for fun, it is to protect people.

Most people in the UK haven't been 'home schooling', they've been either supervising work remotely set by their child's teacher or chucking a few worksheets from the internet at them.

Tough one.
My eldest would probably be absolutely fine wearing them and would understand the necessity.
My middle child has sensory issues and would really struggle. He also has asthma so needs to be protected.
My youngest attends nursery and probably wouldn't keep it on.

I'm in an extremely fortunate position where I could quit my job and homeschool though.

Am I the only one who thinks it comes down to what my kids would feel comfortable with? If my kids are ok with it, then fine. I guess this comes with having a youngest who is 12.

Most people in the UK haven't been 'home schooling', they've been either supervising work remotely set by their child's teacher or chucking a few worksheets from the internet at them.

THANK YOU! Fuck me the amount of people who think that sitting coaching their kid through their reading comprehension questions is the same as planning a curriculum for the needs of 30 kids is insane.

So, where exactly are these masks coming from? We all need at least one per day, maybe two to be effective.

Where are we going to get them from?

Here come the people who want exceptions made for their little darling. Surely if wearing masks prevents just one person catching and perhaps dying from this horrid disease, it is worth putting up with it?

@Lunawuna - totally agree (and I am not a teacher)

I think most kids will just be happy to be back with their friends and get used to it. If everyone has them it's not like they'll stand out.

Because, SoupDragon, having all the children in my class wearing masks is going to prevent me from doing my job.

If my job involved working remotely at a computer then I'd be fine. But it involves being able to hear people, which I will find virtually impossible if I cannot see their lips. I'd have to get within about 50cm I reckon of them to have a chance of hearing, so social distancing won't be possible.

Surely if wearing masks prevents just one person catching and perhaps dying from this horrid disease, it is worth putting up with it?

For the effect on society compulsory mask wearing would have, no I don’t think it is worth it to prevent one person catching covid.

I don't understand why people are making a fuss about masks. I wonder if there was such a fuss about having to carry a bulky gas mask around with you in the war.

They won't be making it happen for fun, it is to protect people.

I was thinking the same.

Did people with sensitive skin, asthma, sensory issues just not wear them?

Or were they left at home because it was too hot and they'd get sweaty?

I really don't think so.

I don't think that they will. I do think though that they'll ask parents to wear them at drop off and pick up.

@Therollockingrogue, the OP delivers speech therapy and in regards to hugs meant the children with SN. When considering the needs of children who have SN, it's a logistical nightmare. I do feel for the hearing impaired community.

They did say that children under 6 won't have to wear them. We know that children under 10 don't seem to transmit it by breathing it out, those under 7 definitely don't. Then it becomes about hand hygiene, luckily the classrooms for that age group are equipped with a sink.

England is fortunate that we are behind other countries and go back later than Scotland. So we will gather more knowledge via them, as awful as that might be.

There's boarding schools across non European countries that haven't broken up and large orphanages, as well as refugee camps etc. We will use global data on this. It's not like it's just happening here.

I've read of two shop staff in the US who have been shot dead for insisting on a customer puts, on a mask or doesn't shop (as is required in some states). It must be scary.

We joke on our FB with our aesthetic practicer that it will save a fortune putting a mask and sunglasses on, who needs treatments and skincare? You've got to look at the positives.