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.

[flaviaritt]

Cocomobile

Respond how you like. I have a strong opinion about people forcing small children into masks. I was clear on that from the outset. Good day to you.

[Eng123]

My 6yo wore one in Germany without an issue. What is the problem?

[Marzipan12]

No one has had to force a child into a mask, not even you because you stopped when your child said no. With a bit of tolerancend explaining your child could easily wear one as well but you are not prepared to do that

[LastGoldenDaysOfSummer]

When people say they are leaving a thread and then don't it's a bit pathetic, really.

Stop feeding the drama.

[Noitjustwontdo]

My 2 year old has a visor hat, maybe consider one of those instead. My 8, 9 and 10 year old’s all wear them with no issue. It isn’t the law here in the UK for under 11s but it makes me feel more comfortable personally.

[WingingItSince1973]

Wow Marzipan12 what a sleeping statement to make!!! My 5 year old grandson has sensory issues and can't wear one. We all wear them and don't make a fuss at all. Some posters blaming the attitude of parents is a bit much too!! Maybe a bit more empathy wouldn't go amiss here! We have bought funky ones, character ones etc but it freaks him out. So we don't take him into many places anyway as shopping now is not a pleasant experience as many many people not bothering with social distancing. My GS is very clued up about covid and is very careful not to touch things and keep his distance from others. Dont judge anyone. You don't know what they are going through or dealing with

[WingingItSince1973]

Obviously meant sweeping statement

[Marzipan12]

If her child had sensory issues I would understand, one of my kids does. But that is not the case with this posters child, she hasn't even tried to get her child to wear one, it's a case of the poster just giving in after the first no.

[WingingItSince1973]

Ah I was replying to the many posters blaming parents. X

[Marzipan12]

Plus the poster in question is the first to judg everyone else so I'm certainly not going to feel remotely bad about judging her parenting which judging by this thread is sadly lacking. She has said herself her child dosent have special needs or sensory issues, is she did I'm the first to be sympathetic, she simply dosent want to try and keeps spouting that it's child sbuse which quite frankly is an insult to children who actually have suffered real abuse.

[LastTrainEast]

@flaviaritt

Kinny14

It is abusive, unless the child is happy with it. We talk a lot about bodily autonomy on MN, not forcing children to accept cuddles from grandparents, teaching them they have the right to say no, yet there is a significant number of people who are happily to force a child to cover their mouth and nose and impede their breathing. It’s shocking.

Sometimes the child''s Freedom of Movement is limited too which is shocking. Preventing a child from running into traffic is denying them their human rights.

[Canuckduck]

Our kids have to wear them to school and out in public from ages 2 and up here unless they are outdoors. I wasn’t sure how my two (8 & 11) would cope with wearing it all day but they’ve gotten used to it and don’t complain. We have lots of reusable ones and disposable ones. I find the thinner elastic around the ears helps a lot. I feel better with them wearing them.

[TabithaMeow]

I love it when threads spiral way out of control like this! It is very amusing to catch up on.

Making a child wear a mask when they don't want to is abusive? Recently I have been updating my friends in the (now-Covid-free) place that I live with ridiculous behaviour and statements from my fellow brits re: covid regulations (while speculating about why we have been covid-free here for months and why some countries, the UK included, are getting worse and worse with no end in sight.) I can't help but feel that it is attitudes like this which are dragging this thing out. I'll be sure to add this statement to the list of most-ridiculous-things-I-have-heard, the next time it comes up in conversation.

It is very sad. I never realised how selfish we had become, as a nation. I suffer from severe anxiety and had a panic attack the first few times I wore a mask - I wouldn't have dreamed of not wearing one though, or banging on about my own rights to not ever feel anything unpleasant, knowing that without one I could accidentally be the cause of someone's death, the cause of someone losing their beloved parent, the cause of so much pain. It shocks and saddens me that asking a child to do something they don't want to do is considered 'abusive' but allowing them to potentially spread a sometimes-fatal virus is okay to you.

My three year old wears a mask. All of my (3-7 year old) students do. I never heard any complaints. Did any of the parents have a battle at home about it? Maybe. But they obviously did it because as parents we sometimes need to make our children do things that they don't want to do. And if there were any problems, the kids must have gotten over it quickly as they are all fine now.

My son hates car seats - he still sits in one, so he will be safe. He doesn't like vegetables but he still has to eat them, to be healthy. He doesn't always like kindergarten, he still has to go, to learn. Sometimes he had almighty tantrums and his heart almost breaks because he desperately wants to do something dangerous; he still can't do it. When he fell and hit his head, he was really scared of getting stitches. But guess what? He still had to get them. And yes, even if he hated wearing a mask, he would still be wearing one, because I want him to learn how to be responsible, considerate, kind, and to do whatever he can to keep the vulnerable safe, even if it means that he feels temporarily bad in some way. I expect these things make me an abusive parent, in your eyes. But what a lesson your daughter is learning by being allowed to go without a mask just because she doesn't like it, when her going without a mask could cause so much suffering! I hope her life is very easy and that she isn't ever expected to do anything she doesn't want to do for the rest of her life, because she will certainly get a nasty shock.

[midnightstar66]

It's impossible to actually force a child to wear a mask.

Indeed but if my dd's refused then they wouldn't be able to do a lot of the things as in Scotland masks are required for 6 year olds on public transport, in shops, shopping centres, cinemas and in cafes etc when moving around, going to the counter and toilet etc. My 7 year old is happy to wear one thankfully so we are able to lead a near to normal (for us) life currently, which if one of them refused they'd just have to miss out on

[flaviaritt]

But what a lesson your daughter is learning by being allowed to go without a mask just because she doesn't like it

She isn’t learning anything. She hasn’t been asked to wear a mask. She is exempt.

[flaviaritt]

Sometimes he had almighty tantrums and his heart almost breaks because he desperately wants to do something dangerous...

You are equating the natural distress experienced by a small child whose parent has just forcibly covered their breathing apparatus with cloth (making them uncomfortable and impeding breathing) with a carrot tantrum. I don’t think this is a rational level on which to have this discussion.

[Underhisi]

"Indeed but if my dd's refused then they wouldn't be able to do a lot of the things as in Scotland masks are required for 6 year olds on public transport, in shops, shopping centres, cinemas and in cafes etc when moving around, going to the counter and toilet etc."

That doesn't apply if a child ( or adult) is exempt.

[midnightstar66]

That doesn't apply if a child ( or adult) is exempt.

The OP's dc isn't exempt though, and neither are some of the other dc of those commenting, so that's not really relevant here.

[flaviaritt]

All children under 11 are exempt in England.

[midnightstar66]

Ok, I'll reword. Your dc would not be exempt if you lived in Scotland, which was the example I was using. Everyone seems to manage just fine here.

[KatharinaRosalie]

Schrödinger's masks - simultaneously too flimsy to keep droplets from being spread, but impermeable enough to impede breathing and keep oxygen out.

[Laughingcrow]

Yanbu. London zoo wanted kids aged 3 plus to wear masks at a couple of their inside areas. Not sure why some and not others.... That and they didn't advertise it so we didn't know and had to miss them out. They should have mentioned it on their website

[midnightstar66]

I'd guess it would be down to the size of the room, ability to distance and ventilate.

[flaviaritt]

Schrödinger's masks - simultaneously too flimsy to keep droplets from being spread, but impermeable enough to impede breathing and keep oxygen out.

Who said that?