AIBU to think a 6 year old is too young to be forced to where a mask?

[Meadow1203]

This is now the law [in France] edited by MNHQ for clarity. I think this could be very frightening for a small child.

Well, some kids will only wear shoes for a couple of minutes before trying to take them off. But you wouldn't let them run through dogshit or broken glass with bare feet.

It's been required here since March and while my 6-year-old is not exactly a social butterfly (we are schooling remotely and have had no play dates) he has no trouble wearing it and adhering to the rules (keep it over your mouth and nose and don't touch it.)

The children have all been required to wear them at school and they are all wearing them properly; I can see it on the zoom meeting that we are on from 9-1 all day, every day. It streams the classroom students and the at home students, and the ones in the classroom have been required to wear them, and wear them correctly, with 2 "mask breaks" outdoors during the day. No one seems to be having any issues.

@flaviaritt

It is rare for coronavirus to induce serious illness in small children, so they are safer...but not 100% safe.

Nor are they 100% safe from measles or mumps or chicken pox. Those illnesses present a far greater risk to them. We accept that small level of risk because (well, most of us) know it is completely disproportionate to panic about it.

Yes, I know there are risks to those things - it's why my children are vaccinated against them along with flu (well only ds with chicken pox). You said children were safe, I'm just pointing out that they are not 100% safe hence why ds's Dr has advised keeping him home from school - no disproportionate panic (this has never been advised before for any other illness) - just a response to the fact that whilst it is rare for children to get seriously ill, ds is extremely vulnerable and this is a very new virus that has had some unusual and unexpected effects on people, especially those with underlying health conditions.

My 5 year old wears a mask for going on buses and entering shops. It's not an issue. Probably partly because it's not an issue for me so there's no drama for him to pick up on, partly because he has no health issues whatsoever that would make wearing a mask difficult, partly because it's not much different from having a balaclava or scarf over his lower face in very cold weather and certainly no more onerous than when he chooses to wear masks as part of dressing up.

ArcheryAnnie

Of course I wouldn’t. But I wouldn’t force a very distressed child who obviously found shoes painful to continue wearing shoes either. I would take them home.

Or buy shoes that didn’t hurt them.

I live in France and my 6 year old has been wearing a mask ever since we got out of confinement (she was 5 then) the first time, even though she didn't have to (I just wanted to protect her and her siblings from risk) and doesn't find it scary at all.

I love the argument that kids are adaptable and will just get used to it. They don’t understand the harmful ramifications of having a mask on all day and how that affects their communication with other people. I could feed my kid once a day and they would get used to that, does that make it ok? No, it does not.

HazeyJaneII

Children with underlying health issues is a different matter. Coronavirus presents a very minimal risk to the vast majority of children. When we force them to wear masks (which they going to be touching, sweating in and breathing on until damp) we are doing it to assuage our psychological distress, not to protect them. It’s wrong.

@flaviaritt

saraclara

I just wore one myself for about 30 minutes. Covering the nose and mouth impedes breathing normally.

You sound exactly like my friend.

I had to wear a mask when out - for a 2-3 hour time slot - this didn't impede my breathing by covering my nose and mouth and I also have mild to moderate asthma.

I had to wear a mask when out - for a 2-3 hour time slot - this didn't impede my breathing by covering my nose and mouth and I also have mild to moderate asthma.

It impedes mine.

As soon as we had to wear them over here I bought some nice ones for my 8 and 5 year olds. Because I just gave them to them with no drama they couldn't give a toss. If anything they think they're cool because they can pretend they're in Ninjago! SEND aside, I honestly think that any NT children who are 'traumatised' by wearing masks are upset because their parents have fussed.

DS 6 has been wearing one for months, no problems, no fuss.

The first time he wasn't keen on the type of mask, and walking uphill wasn't pleasant so he cried. We found him some different styles, and also made sure they had fun designs on. Since he got those, he wears them very happily, and with the different style, there's no problem even running around in them.

He was born with an airway defect meaning his airway can collapse, and also has asthma. Still no issue. Also means if he's exposed the viral load should be lower, meaning he has more chance of surviving, because if he catches Covid, he has a high chance of serious complications.

As a scientist working in both contaminated zones and clean rooms, I've frequently had to wear masks for long periods. Despite having asthma, I've had no issues wearing them, and I highly doubt we'd have been permitted to do/capable of doing the (highly potentially dangerous) job and calculations we were doing if anyone thought we weren't fully with it due to hypoxia.

There is no medical evidence that breathing is imparied.

True; however there is evidence that if someone's breathing is already impaired, doing so in a mask can make it worse.

As an example, if someone mostly mouth breaths, they're more likely to be breathing shallow and quickly, which can lead to hyperventilation, but on it's own may not be enough of an issue to cause problems. Masks both make a person far more aware of this which can lead to a panic response and tend to make people with these types of breathing habits do them more which makes things worse.

Also, in many spaces (though not all), professionals who use masks often get training, but the general public hasn't been told much other than to wear a mask. Tips like avoiding mouth breathing as much as possible and to breathe light but not shallow can be helpful for people who for many reasons (often adaptations to medical issues) these aren't their natural breathing pattern.

@flaviaritt

HazeyJaneII

Children with underlying health issues is a different matter. Coronavirus presents a very minimal risk to the vast majority of children. When we force them to wear masks (which they going to be touching, sweating in and breathing on until damp) we are doing it to assuage our psychological distress, not to protect them. It’s wrong.

Wearing a face covering does not protect the wearer. We wear them to protect each other, as part of a range of measures in a public health crisis.

My dds and dh wear face masks for fairly big chunks of the day, they don't have any problems at all with them - they certainly don't become damp through wearing, and they follow the WHO guidelines in how to wear masks.

You obviously find wearing a mask uncomfortable, and that it impedes your breathing...maybe you should not wear one - I'm sure youre bot alone and people are exempt if they have a genuine difficulty with it, and if it causes you breathing difficulties it surely is a reason not to wear one.

With these difficulties it is completely understandable that you would worry that your child would also find it uncomfortable. Fortunately it isn't required of your child in this country.

The good thing is that lots of people do feel able to wear a mask, and the more people that do - along with social distancing and hand and respiratory hygeine - the better we can live with Covid until there is a vaccine.

Tips like avoiding mouth breathing as much as possible and to breathe light but not shallow can be helpful for people who for many reasons (often adaptations to medical issues) these aren't their natural breathing pattern.

Helping 3-4 year olds not at all. I wear my mask. It’s not comfy but I’m a grown up and I will live with it. My small child has a legitimate exemption - she is too young.

@flaviaritt

Or buy shoes that didn’t hurt them.

There's your answer, then.

ArcheryAnnie

How does that answer me?

And for those interested, I just tried it. I put a cloth mask on her. Very comfy cotton. She said “Yes! I want my mask.” Then pulled it down so she could breathe in impeded. So I pulled it up again. She pulled it back down. And again. She pulled it down.

At this point she’s not upset. Raise your hand if you think I should force her.

(Unimpeded)

Oh for goodness sake, @flaviaritt ...she doesn't need to wear one! Obviously you shouldn't force her!
It's not a big deal - but somehow the whole thread has become about you and your daughter that doesn't even need to wear one!!

HazeyJaneII

So they shouldn’t be mandatory, then?

I only think it’s as scary as you want to make it.

This makes me so sad that so many people think that this is the new normal. God help us. Personally I hate wearing a mask but I do. It brings on a panic attack and most definately impedes my breathing. My grandson is seriously autistic and I know he would have a melt down if he was forced to wear one. Judging from people on here we would be constantly challenged by people for him not wearing one. Horrible world we now live in. Re no harm wearing a mask argument, I have read many scientific papers that clearly state wearing masks is indeed bad for our health. I am def in the vunerable catorgory btw. It is with a heavy heart when I see small children with their faces covered.

The more fuss you make the more fuss your child will make.

Wholeheartedly agree. Children look to their parents for how to behave. My 5 year old wears her hideous Disney one with no complaints because we've explained that it helps to keep her, and others, safe.