Masks on under 5’s

[LolaLollypop]

Why why why are people doing this?! I’m out shopping at the moment and I’ve seen two toddlers in buggies wearing masks. Even more disturbing was a baby around 4-6 months old in one, the poor little thing was thrashing around in its pram like it was struggling for breath 😫 Why don’t people take any notice of the guidance?!

I don’t really even like my 8 year old wearing a mask as it encourages him to be constantly adjusting it and poking at his face. The main thing I try to teach them is to stop touching your face when out and about but it’s hopeless.

The exemption is under 2 where I live. Studies are also showing that the primary purpose of masks is to protect others, but they do appear to be working to protect the wearer as well.

Some people mistakenly think the mask protects the wearer. The parents probably mean well but are a tad ignorant as to the purpose of masks.

Masks DO protect the wearer to some extent. link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-020-06067-8

So that's one reason. The other reason is that my 3-year-old sees us wearing them and wants one for himself.

Why don’t people take any notice of the guidance?

Why don't you try thinking for yourself and stop worrying so much about what other people are doing?

My 4 year old (reception age) has one - he asked for one because everyone else has one (apart from the baby)

If I have to go to the doctors or say the testing walking centre then over 3s need to wear one.
Under 3s should not be wearing one full stop.

My DS (6) has to wear a mask as we are in Scotland. He doesn't like it because he cannot see as his glasses steam up. We have also realised that the cotton fabric rubbing against his nose is causing eczema breakouts.

I really don't see what possible benefit mask wearing has for under 12s as most of the masks don't fit properly (are generally too big) , are touched a lot and encourage children to shout (not helping transmission. DS also loves to breathe heavily sucking the fabric into his mouth as he pretends to be Darth Vader. I'm sure from an infection control point of view he'd be better off without one

How are you explaining the masks to 2-4 year olds?

My son is almost 4 and has no idea about covid, and I’ve just not taken him to shops or on public transport.

My 3-year-old stopped playschool, stopped swimming lessons, stopped seeing friends, stopped going to softplay, etc. A lot more than just "not taking to the shops or on public transport". He knows it's because of something called coronavirus, which is making people sick, and which is why we wear masks, and which will be over eventually and then we can do all those fun things again and stop wearing masks. Three and four year olds can easily understand all that.

Based on the expert opinion gathered through online meetings and consultative processes, children aged up to five years should not wear masks for source control. This advice is motivated by a “do no harm” approach and considers:

• childhood developmental milestones
• compliance challenges and
• autonomy required to use a mask properly.

The experts (following the methods described above) recognized that the evidence supporting the choice of the age cut-off is limited (see above, section related to transmission of COVID-19 in children), and they reached this decision mainly by consensus. The rationale included consideration of the fact that by the age of five years, children usually achieve significant developmental milestones, including the manual dexterity and fine motor coordination movements needed to appropriately use a mask with minimal assistance.

In some countries, guidance and policies recommend a different and lower age cut-off for mask use42-45. It is recognized that children may reach developmental milestones at different ages and children five years of age and under may have the dexterity needed to manage a mask. Based on the do no harm approach, if the lower age cut-off of two or three years of age is to be used for recommending mask use for children, appropriate and consistent supervision, including direct line of sight supervision by a competent adult and compliance need to be ensured, especially if mask wearing is expected for an extended period of time. This is both to ensure correct use of the mask and to prevent any potential harm associated with mask wearing to the child.

apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/333919

(WHO and UNICEF)

My 4 year old asks to put one on when he sees us doing so to go in a shop. Generally keeps it on for a few minutes, gets bored and takes it off 🤷🏼 my 1 year old doesn't have one.

Bit over dramatic to suggest the baby was struggling to breathe, and then when you’re shown up for walking on past a suffocating baby, it’s all - oh well, might have just been fussing.

I have a lot of sympathy for mothers with young babies at the moment, they were pregnant and gave birth at the height of the first wave when there were many unknowns. There was a news report locally about a newborn being the uks youngest covid patient and nobody knew for certain what that meant. They must have been terrified and becoming a new mum is stressful enough- I imagine many of the them have struggled with mental health so I would try hard not to judge. Round here many mums put rain covers on in inside spaces but I haven’t seen masks on babies.

😨 Did you not tell the parent they risked killing their baby?

@NoViolins

How are you explaining the masks to 2-4 year olds?

My son is almost 4 and has no idea about covid, and I’ve just not taken him to shops or on public transport.

My 3-year-old stopped playschool, stopped swimming lessons, stopped seeing friends, stopped going to softplay, etc. A lot more than just "not taking to the shops or on public transport". He knows it's because of something called coronavirus, which is making people sick, and which is why we wear masks, and which will be over eventually and then we can do all those fun things again and stop wearing masks. Three and four year olds can easily understand all that.

That's exactly how we have explained it to the children in my family. And all 3 of them quite happily wear masks when they go out- ages 2, 4, and 8. It's just no big deal to them now. They will ask for their masks before we get out of the car!

My 7 year old and 4 year old both have masks. 7 year old is fine with hers, 4 year old likes the idea of being like her sister but doesn't wear it for long. We just ask them to do their best with wearing them. Babies and toddlers definitely shouldn't be wearing masks.

Mind your own business op. You do not know if the children you've seen have some underlying condition. My dd has a stinking cold so she wore one the other day in the shop as a courtesy to other shoppers. She wanted to though!

Not appropriate for babies. For children over 2 or so it's OK if they are happy to wear one.

Child abuse!!!

I try not to judge people not wearing masks - who am I to discount what are probably valid reasons? I also try not to judge people who put little kids in masks - I’m sure there are good reasons that work for their families, fair enough.

But hell would freeze over before I put any of my young kids in a mask when govt regulations did not require it. No freaking way.

I was watching a little girl, aged about 3, with a mask on in a shop the other day. She seemed happy enough but the whole time, touch, touch, touching the mask ( I should say, I often see adults touching their masks too, but they're old enough to know better). I personally think if you're going to be constantly touching your mask you're probably better off not wearing one. There was more risk of her spreading any potential germs from those hands then there would have been if she'd just had the mask off.

I can’t believe the amount of posters on here putting masks on very young DC. Even if they ask for one or are happy to wear it... I think it’s horrifying. I wouldn’t be putting on on my children unless I absolutely had to. I’ve just not been taking them to shops, restaurants etc. I don’t mean to sound judgemental and I know everyone’s situation is different. I just find it terribly sad that this is being normalised for children. It is not normal.

Even if they ask for one or are happy to wear it... I think it’s horrifying

Maybe other people just aren't as melodramatic as you.

@Lesserspottedmama I don't mask my children but I also find it horrifying to not take them out. And you're normalising keeping them home all the time.

DC over 2 need to wear them where I live.
The nursery dc seem to manage ok out and about.

I don't mean to sound judgemental, but it's not normal for children to stay in and not do their normal day to day stuff .

I prefer for my children to be able to adapt to new and different situations without kicking up a fuss and getting dramatic. Wearing face masks may be the new normal, who knows how long masks will be required? It may be a long term requirement. So instead of faffing around we just get on with it and we carry on with our daily lives with minimal restriction. If wearing a mask for 5 mins to get in and out of a restaurant is worse than not going out for our usual meals, then I'm quite happy to be a horrifyingly bad mum

My eldest knows that people are getting sick. I've told her some people get sick easier than others, so we wash our hands and wear our masks to help protect those around us.

Even if they ask for one or are happy to wear it... I think it’s horrifying

Where I'm from it's quite common for toddlers to wear balaclavas in the winter to play out in the cold. A mask is much less annoying!