To not expect my children to wear masks?

[moita]

Upset MIL yesterday (by phone). She offered to make my 4 year old and 2 year old masks. I said there's no where they'd wear them let alone safely.

MIL is now upset and thinks I'm being irresponsible.

Are children really expected to wear them?

we are not in the UK, yesterday DD went back at school, they all have to wear masks, she is 11. She found it strange at first but has very quickly got used to it, along with all the other new rules.

This is not going away anytime soon, I do think that it is highly likely that people will be told to wear masks in certain situations, the numbers speak for themselves, they work. Until a vaccine is found they can be quite effective in reducing the transmission

They're more risk than they're worth. Even watching adults wear them, people pull them down to speak then put them back up, they touch them and adjust them and just constantly put hands to face which increases risk of transmission more than just not wearing one. Children cant be expected not to mess with them.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-safe-outside-your-home/staying-safe-outside-your-home

If a child ( or adult) not able to safely wear a mask , is under 2 or has respiratory issues the government advice is not to wear a mask.

2 year olds and up have to wear them when not possible to maintain social distancing (i.e. indoors) where we live. Thankfully not outside so walks are fine and we wouldn’t take DD anywhere public indoors like supermarket anyway. If we have to fly, which is likely as we’re relocating soon, I plan to ask her paediatrician to write her some sort of exemption note as there’s no way she’ll keep it on.

ShyTown I have a 2.5 year old and there’s no way she’d wear one. A hat in summer is hard enough.

Nononononono!

It's getting very hot where I live (US)...my daughter has socially distanced dance class with 3 other girls outside. My DH when she came home she was as red as a beet and refused to eat dinner.
She won't starve, obviously, but that seemed silly to me.
We are supposed to wear them (at the moment) in places where we cannot socially distance.
Will definitely let school district know I am not in favor, either. (We start mid-August). It should be decided by parents. If they want a kid to wear a mask, send one. Not policing it.
I can't do my job - speech therapy - with one on.

Will definitely let school district know I am not in favor, either. (We start mid-August). It should be decided by parents

Oh certainly! We all know that virologists and numbers supporting that masks are working are for nothing. No one knows better than parents.

I have a 2.5 year old and a 9m old. They’re not wearing them for safety reasons.

I’m also not wearing one unless it become absolutely compulsory. I wore one once for an hour a few weeks ago (while at an appointment with dd) and almost had a panic attack. I felt so so claustrophobic. I’m the same with snorkel masks - can’t wear them. Anything covering my nose is an absolute no no.

your 2 year old child doesn't need the mask. But I always wear a mask outside as an adult. Its my civic responsibility, i am 27 and healthy so I don't really care about getting covid. Thankfully, my elderly grandma and parents are in singapore (where non mask wearers are fined $300, and they can tell their excuses to the judge). DH's elderly grandpa is in Germany where they are managing the situation better than us. My family in the UK are all in good health and we stay home so I am not too worried.

So many british people are going to die. Look at the death rate. And its going to be exacerbated by the lack of masks, leading to the spreading of the virus. But oh well at least I did my part and my loved ones are safe.

The feeling where I am is that if our government want us to wear masks they can provide them.

People are reporting others here for not wearing masks. But it’s personal choice. There’s a big name and shame culture on social media here too.

I'm making a shed load of masks for my neighbours but I wouldn't make for anyone under, say 10. And I haven't been asked to. Little kids have their fingers all over their faces all the time and they can't be expected to use a mask safely.

@ememem84 I 100% agree with this, they should provide us with masks. But they aren't going to. Cos the majority of the population don't want to, there is a suspicion around mask wearing.

the Uk is one of very few countries who hasn't made mask wearing compulsory. I somehow doubt we are the geniuses in the room, compared to the likes of Germany and HK.

I never said they were superspreaders! They can spread it though, anyone can.

Also, being outside is totally different to being inside with the windows open. There's not any surfaces to touch in an open outdoor space or surfaces so droplets would land on the ground. How would an open window prevent the droplets from landing on surfaces unless it was a really windy day and the wind carried the droplets out of the window? Sure ventilation will help stuffiness but the virus cannot move without being moved around on objects and on people so an open window isn't going to stop the virus from spreading in a classroom. I would actually say that at this time of year, open windows would be worse. Carriers without symptoms are more likely to sneeze, cough and run their eyes from hayfever with exposure from outside like cut grass, pollen etc and they'd be doing it inside and not outside...

Ask yourself what this 'science' is suggesting. It makes no sense. Even the government today has said they are struggling with the information they are being given. The 'scientists' said masks were useless at first as well. Look how that turned out...

My 5 year old would happily wear one but plays around with it a lot. I wouldn't put his sister in one though (under two) for safety reasons.

My psychiatrist told me today if they become mandatory he will happily write me a letter expressing why I can't wear one. Still panicking though because I feel those in favour don't see any reason why a healthy individual shouldn't. Responses I've had to date include that I shouldn't leave the house ever, have therapy until it's not a problem (like I haven't tried that) or that I should just suck it up and it's better that I kill myself than I kill someone else with covid.

A lot of adults can't manage to wear a mask properly, it takes quite a lot of self discipline to leave it in situ and not to touch it. No way young kids could be expected to.

There's the other small issue of the fact that the only randomised trial of the efficacy of fabric masks shows that they are ineffective nearly 97% of the time. There really isn't a lot of point in wearing them. Hence why WHO are not advising wearing masks.

The conclusions of the trial are available here. bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/4/e006577

All adults who can wear a mask, should, on public transport and in enclosed indoor spaces. They do reduce transmission rates. Even more so of a tiny bit of intelligence is applied to putting them on and taking them off. The touch transmission risk from mask-wearing isn't that great if people wash their hands frequently. If they don't, well, what can you do?

"Can't" doesn't mean "ooh, I find it a bit uncomfortable". MN sensory issues are a bit like MN anxiety - it's amazing how many sufferers there are.

Small children in masks - nah.

In Belgium, children over 12 need to wear a mask in public transport, and in Germany, it is all children over 6, apparently.