4 year old and mask wearing

[mummyofthreemunchkins]

Posting here for traffic!
I had to pop to the shop earlier today for some essentials, and had to take my 4 year old dd with me.
A comment was made about her not wearing a mask, I did say that because of her age she doesn't have to.
Shes very aware that mummy needs to wear one when we go out, I suppose its normal to her now, and she has asked if she needs one. I've always told her that she's a bit little for one at the moment.
It just made me wonder, does anyone else's toddlers, younger children wear a mask?

Neither my 6 nor 4 year old wear masks.

My 2 year old insists on wearing one when I am... But it lasts about 5 minutes before she pulls it off

DS is 4 and had a medical appointment in December. The appointment letter requested all over 2s wear a mask. I did buy him one and he put it on but quickly bored and started playing with it.

There was no way I was going to be able to have a productive conversation with the nurse if I was focused on the mask issue so I just ignored it. She didn't say anything about and just laughed when he started trying to use it as a catapult.

I don't think there's any other situation I'd try to get a mask on him and staying on. Maybe if visiting someone CEV in their home, can't think that would be happening anytime soon though! Definitely not in a shop.

My 6 year old wears hers and keeps it on until we leave

I had to take mine to the supermarket last week and I did get her to wear a mask. She’s very obliging though!

DSs had to in France this summer (aged 4 and 7) and we’re fine. I suspect they’d touch it more than they should but I guess if they did cough it would protect others.

Yes my 3 year old does and so do most of his friends and outside too . Here it is a legal requirement from age 6 ,everywhere and most kids wear them from about 3.

Unless the child is a baby, masks insise a shop is reasonable. 4 is old enough.

My five year old happily wears one if she needs to pop to the supermarket with me, although admittedly that's only a few times a month. It makes me feel much more relaxed, and doesn't bother her in the slightest. She enjoys spotting other children in masks too, and seeing what patterns they have on theirs.

2yo and 3yo here and no way am I putting a mask on them at this age.

No one has ever said anything to me or made any comments either.

Both my children wear medical grade masks (4 and 10). They have worn them when needed since the start of all of this - it was never a choice in our house and we set the expectation really firmly (and they were great with them, which actually surprised us). They wear them in shops (and never argue/complain) and both of them wore them at school (their choice as we were aware many of their peers wouldn't)

Both children are CV and I, plus other family members are CEV so we decided that we needed to set the expectation quickly. We've always explained the reasoning to them and they've understood it's important.

With the new variant being much more transmissible by children I really wouldn't be taking a child out into high contact areas without a mask at the moment.

Ds4 wears one all of the time while we are out. He's got three different fun ones to choose from, we've expected it from him and not listened to any arguments about it. He's actually asked why he doesn't have to wear one in school now.

My 5 year old wears one with no issues if we are going into shops etc. It was a requirement where we went holiday over the summer in most public spaces so he got used to wearing one for long periods of time.

DD generally doesn't come into the shops with me but we had to go into B and M together at the weekend and I had her wear a mask because she's 11 in a couple of months so there's no point waiting till then but if she was really small like 4 and under I wouldn't.

Give her a mask. If she can't wear one then that's ok but it would be good to explain to her why she should.
Spain insisted on mask wearing for six year olds.

My 5 yo tolerates a mask because she's needed the pretty well only for trips into the toy shop at the Safari Park when permitted. Plus a couple of Dr/hospital visits although when the reason for the hospital trip was Lego up nose the mask was rather superfluous. Even the small child size ones are huge on her face so probably keep sod all in tbh!

2 yo, not a chance, still working on him not removing my mask if I stray into range - my glasses are favourite targets as well, and hats last about 2 minutes at most!

My 3yo doesn't wear a mask as she can't wear it properly without fiddling with it, touching the front of it, putting it on and off, pulling it up and down, licking the inside of it, etc. She has had numerous hospital appointments during the last six months and no one has insisted she put on a mask.

My 7yo sometimes wears one if we're somewhere very enclosed, although that hasn't cropped up for a few months now because of Christmas and then lockdown. He is autistic so he has the option of taking it off if he needs to.

My 9yo and 12yo both wear them although 12yo is also autistic so also has the option of taking it off if he needs to.

Where I live he would be exempt until he hits age 5, but it’s only considered medically contra-indicated for 2 and under, so if your 4yo would comply, I would get him a mask. He is going to need to get used to it eventually. Easier to start practicing for short bursts now.

My 6 yo wore one on a train when we went in December (short distance).. He really doesn’t like wearing them though.

4 year old twins. They don’t wear masks. DD would be fine wearing one and has actually asked about it but DS has choked on food a few times and coughs/splutters makes even water go down the wrong way and I just could not fathom letting him wear a mask incase we didn’t notice he was somehow choking on saliva. He would want one if DD had one. We live in England so no issues re age.

The only time my now 10yo has worn a face covering was for a medical appointment last summer. Absolute waste of time. He has ASD and could not leave it alone and it was very difficult for the HCP to talk to him while he was messing around and very distracted.

Hopefully the loathesome things will mainly be in landfill by the time he turns 11.
Communicating is hard enough without obscuring speech and facial movements. He needs to learn about normal facial communication, not hiding and distorting.

My 5 year old has been wearing a fabric kids mask since the summer. Mainly for visiting public loos in the park, but anywhere we have been indoors, although I’ve tried not to take her to shops if I could go alone.

I had wondered about schools asking the children to wear masks from September which is why I wanted her used to them over the summer. I really don’t understand why children aren’t given an option unwearable them at school - if 50% of the children are wearing masks surely that’s helpful?

Is she very tall for 4?! I’m surprised it was mentioned. My 9 year old doesn’t wear one due to his ASD and he is a big lad. No one has ever approached us about it though.

Thank you everyone, I try not to take her if I can help it. I think she would probably wear one and tolerate it, much like most adults I suppose! And its perhaps not a bad thing to get her used to while shes still at an age that (for the moment anyway) it isnt required! Not sure if it's relevant, but she is only just 4, so closer to 3 than 5, it was only 10 days ago she turned 4. We night have to have a look for some funky patterned ones in a dinky size!
Especially as a pp mentioned, about the new variant being much more transmissible!

My 4 year old will wear one when needed, just the odd time he needs to come in a shop with me