Am I bad parent for not putting a mask on my 4 yo?

[Mummypig2020]

Iv seen SO many young children wearing masks and gloves. Iv decided not to make my Dd wear one. Does this make me a bad parent? I really struggle to wear one.

No not at all - as other's have said they're at a different height anyway. I have bought one (a paw patrol one) just in case he wants one because we'll all be wearing one, but won't insist. I think more important at that age to have tissues to catch their sneezes, and wipes etc for their grubby little hands.

Mine won’t be age 5 and 7. They would just touch and mess with it which puts them more at risk.
We don’t use public transport though.

No, I don't thinks it makes anyone a bad parent.

I've encouraged my youngest to wear a hat with a face shield when in spaces we may not able to socially distance. It's pretty much been the only option he doesn't play with.

Not a chance I would make a 4 year old wear a mask.

If that makes you a 'bad parent' then 99.9% of parents in my part of the world are 'bad parents'.

It depends how much you care about the wider community.

I don't make my DD4 wear one. I cringe when I see kids in masks but that's just me..

Not at all. I have one for my 4 year old for when we go on holiday, but if she's really unhappy wearing it i won't force her

No, you're a good parent. You aren't making your child wear a pointless face covering in order to jump on a bandwagon.

Children are not disease vectors - they simply do not catch or transmit covid at any rate that would make mask wearing useful.

Basic paper masks or thin fabric masks do practically nothing to stop this disease spreading. Especially as most people wear them incorrectly. (Under chin, under nose, touching the mask, etc etc.)

The current rates of community infection are incredibly low in most areas. Unless your child is scrubbing toilets in a Covid ward, there is a ridiculously low chance of them having anything to pass on to anyone.

Dom Don't be so ridiculous, we are talking about a 4 year old child, there is no evidence that they are a risk of passing it on, even Scotland say 5 plus.

Stop making up the rules, Scottish law says 5+ England 11+ you have no fecking right to tell people that they don't care about the wider community.

I have masks for my 4 year old but he was fiddling with it more than not, so have left off. Am a single parent so if I go somewhere outside of nursery hours, he has to too. But I’m trying to limit shopping etc. with him massively.

He’s very good and knows to cover his face with his arm for coughs/sneezes etc. and he understands social distancing better than most adults, judging by the number of times HE has stepped back a good distance whilst an adult barges past in the street etc.

Young children are not thought to transmit or contract the disease easily, so masks for children have negligible benefit.

@TheGreatWave

Dom Don't be so ridiculous, we are talking about a 4 year old child, there is no evidence that they are a risk of passing it on, even Scotland say 5 plus.

Stop making up the rules, Scottish law says 5+ England 11+ you have no fecking right to tell people that they don't care about the wider community.

I'm not making up the rules what a stupid thing to say. But carry on making things up if it gives you pleasure.

I have a right to express an opinion and you have no fecking right to tell me I can't. Are you always this controlling? Stop it.

“It depends how much you care about the wider community.”

Hopefully this kind of shaming nastiness will stop soon. It actually demonstrates the kind of behaviour it claims to discourage

I caught the train with my toddler earlier today - just two stops back from a park meet-up with some friends. I had my mask on but was still stopped by an over-zealous station official who asked where DD’s mask was and insisted she should be wearing one even when I reminded him that government guidance was for over 11s only (DD is 2). And this one is the reasons why I dislike the whole mask thing: the inevitable mission creep and petty-minded officials who interpret ‘the rules’ as they see fit.

DP has also just been diagnosed with a very unpleasant chronic condition that means he can’t wear a mask without it causing him considerable pain. He looks outwardly young, fit and healthy and is dreading now having to explain himself to some random security guard every single time he enters a shop. I imagine lots of people will be in the same boat.

Of course not.

My 4yo does wear one in the shop but I think he's just intrigued by the novelty and wants to wear one as I am, and so does his 8yo sister. Around our way a lot of 7+ kids are wearing them in the supermarket. But it's not compulsory and I wouldn't think twice about a child under 11 not wearing one.

Hopefully this kind of shaming nastiness will stop soon. It actually demonstrates the kind of behaviour it claims to discourage

Hopefully it won't be necessary because people will learn to act responsibly.

kids don't need to wear them though so stop trying to shame people for acting perfectly legally

Not at all! Guidance is from age 11.

I have hardly seen any primary kids wearing them. My own DD4 isn't interested at all, although I don't really take her many places where masks are required.

Yes you are:

Q: should my 4yr old wear a mask?

Dom: if you care about the wider community yes you would.

That therefore is deciding that the guidance/ laws put out by the relevant governments are wrong and all ages should be wearing them.

I am not sure I am the controlling one when you are deciding who is and who isn't acting responsibly, but whatever.

Hopefully it won't be necessary because people will learn to act responsibly.

Hopefully threads like this won't be necessary because people will learn to read. CHILDREN UNDER 11 DO NOT NEED TO WEAR A MASK.

@TheGreatWave

Yes you are:

Q: should my 4yr old wear a mask?

Dom: if you care about the wider community yes you would.

That therefore is deciding that the guidance/ laws put out by the relevant governments are wrong and all ages should be wearing them.

I am not sure I am the controlling one when you are deciding who is and who isn't acting responsibly, but whatever.

You can't help yourself, can you? That's not what I said.

Do stop making things up.

I said -
It depends how much you care about the wider community.

I didn't say if you care about the wider community yes you would. Which is what you've pretended I sad.

Really daft. Stop it.

As other have said it’s not compulsory for under 11s. My DD (7) has a mask which she wore to A&E but we haven’t had any other use out of it. I think she would wear one on public transport but we are able to avoid that.

In Scotland everyone seems to be wearing them, including children. I think it's easier if it's compulsory for everyone (unless of course you can't for various reasons), as kids will see other kids wear them.

In Scotland everyone seems to be wearing them, including children. I think it's easier if it's compulsory for everyone (unless of course you can't for various reasons), as kids will see other kids wear them.

And a sneeze or cough from a 4 or 5 year old will spread a potential virus surprisingly far.