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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want nanny to wear a mask around DS?

218 replies

Rainallnight · 20/10/2020 09:57

DS is two. He’s with a nanny three days a week. He’s prone to colds and runny noses, as are lots of toddlers. The nanny has complained that she has twice picked up a cold from him, and has suggested wearing a face mask around him.

I think this is (a) a massive over reaction and (b) not good for DS. He has speech delay and really needs to be able to see people’s faces to develop his communication.

Surely picking up kiddy colds is a bit of an occupational hazard for nannies?

But tell me if I’m missing something.

(Obviously I have no problem with her wearing one in shops or other situations where it’s Covid-mandated. This would be all the time, including at home).

OP posts:
Disappointedkoala · 20/10/2020 09:59

Does she have another job? If catching your DS' cold prevents her from working her other job (if she has a cough and therefore needs to isolate/test) then I'd say she's taking a reasonable precaution. That said, I can totally see why you wouldn't like it.

Original poster
Rainallnight · 20/10/2020 10:00

She doesn’t have another job. And she’s actually weirdly relaxed about Covid. This is about not catching colds because she’s very ‘sensitive’ to them.

OP posts:
mynameiscalypso · 20/10/2020 10:01

Well, given that masks protect other people from you rather than you from other people, her wearing a mask seems a bit pointless. I agree it's an occupational hazard working with small children (or indeed having them!)

Original poster
Rainallnight · 20/10/2020 10:05

Well that’s also true about who the mask is protecting! Smile

OP posts:
Alexandernevermind · 20/10/2020 10:08

Misses the point completely but toddlers / nannies would have the occasional cold, but constantly would suggest immunity issues? Tell her lots of walks in the park are the best cold prevention!

rainylake · 20/10/2020 10:09

I wouldn't be at all happy with my small child being cared for by someone wearing a mask all day. I would worry that it would have a significant impact on their emotional and linguistic development, as well as being unsettling for them (I take my toddler to a group once a week where adults have to wear masks, and although she enjoys the music etc she is visibly scared by the masked adults, and behaves very differently to how she normally is around people).

If it is just about colds, that is ridiculous. She should have thought about that before being a nanny.

If it is to do with anxiety about covid, I'd say I understand her position, but I would in that case look for different childcare provision.

flaviaritt · 20/10/2020 10:12

I wouldn’t be happy with that and would find another nanny, if that’s a dealbreaker. We can’t normalise the wearing of masks in our own homes around our kids.

justanotherneighinparadise · 20/10/2020 10:15

How about those masks with the transparent area so people can see your mouth? Least then he’d still be able to see her mouth moving and i suspect she wouldn’t wear it all the time anyway as it will become irritating. She might just want the option of wearing it if he’s particularly symptomatic.

Thisisnotnormal69 · 20/10/2020 10:15

You can get masks with clear part if she’s insistent? Though they do fog up

Buddytheelf85 · 20/10/2020 10:18

I wouldn’t be happy about that OP. Particularly with a toddler with speech delay. I don’t think that’s appropriate child-centric care and I’d be a bit concerned that she’d seen fit to suggest it - i.e. it’s a bit worrying that a childcare professional doesn’t see the obvious developmental concerns with that.

Is there any evidence that a mask would even protect the wearer against colds anyway?

I think colds are an occupational hazard of working with small children. They’re an occupational hazard of many other working environments too.

GameSetMatch · 20/10/2020 10:18

No, I wouldn’t be happy, if he has a speech delay it’s so important that he can see her mouth when she speaks. A cheap face mask isn’t going to stop her getting colds or coughs, tell her to wash her hands more?

Onxob · 20/10/2020 10:21

Yes that's not good enough in your own home. If it's only colds she's worried about then what would she have done pre-covid? She would have cracked on and taken some multivitamins. Everyone gets colds, if she's getting them as much as a toddler then perhaps she should be looking into why her immunity is so low. Wearing a mask is not a suitable solution when you're paid to interact with small children.

MarjorytheTrashHeap · 20/10/2020 10:21

I think it's a reasonable request from the Nanny. I work in a primary school. We're not expected to wear masks but are allowed to if it makes us more comfortable. This is her place of work so I don't think it's unreasonable to make adjustments as many other places of work have done.

Original poster
Rainallnight · 20/10/2020 10:23

That’s it, @Buddytheelf85, you’ve articulated my issue with it. Why wouldn’t you see that it’s not an appropriate thing to do around very small kids?

@MarjorytheTrashHeap this isn’t to do with Covid, though. It’s purely about getting colds.

OP posts:
flaviaritt · 20/10/2020 10:23

This is her place of work so I don't think it's unreasonable to make adjustments as many other places of work have done.

I really don’t think it’s the same. Childcare of little children in their home is more intimate and not like working in a school. The parent has every right to say they don’t want their child interacting day after day with a caregiver in a mask, and if she is that vulnerable this isn’t the job for her. Some parents might be fine with it but I wouldn’t be.

loulouljh · 20/10/2020 10:27

I wouldn't want her too either...children pick up so much from expressions.

Original poster
Rainallnight · 20/10/2020 10:33

Blimey, I’ve just spoken to DP about it, who’s like ‘oh well, if she feels that strongly about it’. I reminded about the speech issues...Hmm

OP posts:
Marzipan12 · 20/10/2020 10:37

It's her place of work,she has every right to wear a mask. As her employer you must make adjustments during a pandemic 😠

Nanny0gg · 20/10/2020 10:42

@MarjorytheTrashHeap

I think it's a reasonable request from the Nanny. I work in a primary school. We're not expected to wear masks but are allowed to if it makes us more comfortable. This is her place of work so I don't think it's unreasonable to make adjustments as many other places of work have done.
If it's not a covid-related issue then she is being very U.

No nanny in normal times wears a mask in case she catches a cold.

EmeraldShamrock · 20/10/2020 10:42

If her concern was covid I'd let her no issue. As it is not you can get away with having an issue. Sad
It is awful for staff working with DC all creche preschool and school workers are in masks and aprons here.

LittleMissLockdown · 20/10/2020 10:42

@Marzipan12

It's her place of work,she has every right to wear a mask. As her employer you must make adjustments during a pandemic 😠
But it's nothing to do with the blooming pandemic. She wants to wear one because she doesn't want to catxh a cold from a toddler.

I wouldn't be impressed at all especially given his speech difficulties. You don't see nursery staff all masked up as they realise allowing children the opportunity to see their faces is more important than some non existant cold protection.

Nanny0gg · 20/10/2020 10:42

@Marzipan12

It's her place of work,she has every right to wear a mask. As her employer you must make adjustments during a pandemic 😠
It's nothing to do with the pandemic...
flaviaritt · 20/10/2020 10:42

It’s her place of work,she has every right to wear a mask. As her employer you must make adjustments during a pandemic 😠

I don’t think so. This isn’t a high risk environment. One small child in contact with one caregiver. No, I wouldn’t say it was an entitlement here.

Nanny0gg · 20/10/2020 10:43

@EmeraldShamrock

If her concern was covid I'd let her no issue. As it is not you can get away with having an issue. Sad It is awful for staff working with DC all creche preschool and school workers are in masks and aprons here.
No mask wearing at nurseries and preschools here.
Suzi888 · 20/10/2020 10:45

Has she had a flu jab?

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