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Original poster

To ask if your children wear masks

240 replies

FatimaMunchy · 22/10/2020 19:06

Been to the hospital today and saw a number of children, some probably 5 or 6, wearing masks. I asked a nurse if children had to wear masks as it was a hospital, and she said not that she was aware of.

OP posts:
Stressedmummyof4 · 22/10/2020 23:26

All my kids wear masks like others have said in Scotland it's 5+

One dc who is ASD and wears no problem at all, we all do so like others have said it is the new normal.

Another dc who is severely asthmatic, two different inhalers per day and tablet steroids every night in life. Wears his no problem at all, certainly doesn't affect his breathing. We have an oxymeter at home and before anyone asked it really doesn't make a difference to his o2 levels.

I know no one wants to make this normal but I really think we need to suck it up and accept that it IS our new normal and could be for quite some time months/years sadly

Nochangeplease · 22/10/2020 23:27

I hate seeing kids wearing masks and I’m sorry but I do judge the parents a bit when I see it. Mines almost 8, never has and hopefully never will. I don’t want to normalise it. He’s been in shops, shopping centres, restaurants and were in central london. He’s also been to hospital twice. No worries about him infecting a vulnerable person as we’ve not been close to anybody except staff at the hospital. They honestly don’t seem to mind either. I’ve been in st Thomas’s 4 times since lockdown and the staff really don’t mind if you’ve pulled it down for a breather and forget or something.

StripyHorse · 22/10/2020 23:31

@Nochangeplease

I hate seeing kids wearing masks and I’m sorry but I do judge the parents a bit when I see it. Mines almost 8, never has and hopefully never will. I don’t want to normalise it. He’s been in shops, shopping centres, restaurants and were in central london. He’s also been to hospital twice. No worries about him infecting a vulnerable person as we’ve not been close to anybody except staff at the hospital. They honestly don’t seem to mind either. I’ve been in st Thomas’s 4 times since lockdown and the staff really don’t mind if you’ve pulled it down for a breather and forget or something.
My 10 year old does and you can judge me all you like... she understands it us up to everyone who can wear a mask to wear one to limit the spread of covid as much as possible.

Children can be asymptomatic carriers so she might pick it up in school and show no symptoms. For the sake of wearing a mask it's worth it.

And you know what... I used child labour in making them because my 12 year old put the elastics in.

trixiebelden77 · 22/10/2020 23:39

Mine does when needed.

We both work in ICU so our kid understands quite a bit about infectious diseases and hygiene and knows we wear masks for 12.5+ hrs at work and would be unable to help desperately ill children and adults if we could not.

In this context you might guess I’m not too worried by Nochangeplease’s judgment. She probably won’t feel like judging us too much should she ever need our help.

MagicoRomantico · 22/10/2020 23:45

There's an Oriental lady who I see every morning and afternoon during the school run. Her kids look very young-Im guessing between 3 and 5- and are always wearing masks perfectly while walking in the street. It's very noticeable because of how perfectly they are wearing them, how young the kids are, and how it seems to be without any protest. I've never seem either of them so much as touch their mask

RainbowMum11 · 22/10/2020 23:52

My DD7 doesn't have to, but if we go into a shop together (very rare) she will put her mask on like I do - she doesn't have to but chooses to.

Comtesse · 22/10/2020 23:57

No way. If you live in a country where those are the rules, fine. But to volunteer for that? No freaking way.

ForeverBubblegum · 22/10/2020 23:58

Ds (4) has masks and actually quite likes wearing them. If we were just quickly calling in a shop he might not bother, bit definitely would for a hospital visit.

But he has ASD so

A - can get obsessive about rule following

B - is likely to lick surfaces or put his fingers in his mouth if not wearing a mask

HoldMyLobster · 23/10/2020 00:02

Mine wear them all day at school other than lunchtime and a few lessons outside.

17yo wears one for her shift in a hot kitchen.

They don’t think it’s a big deal.

Because everyone wears masks where we live, our COVID rates are low, we can go on holiday, cinema, restaurants, shops etc.

Our doctors and dentists have been reopened for months and people can get medical care when they need it.

No one is having to isolate from school.

Wearing a mask is a small price for that. My kids have no problem with it.

AldiAisleofCrap · 23/10/2020 00:08

Yes of course youngest is five. Why would you not, many children are walking round asymptomatic.

AmICrazyorWhat2 · 23/10/2020 00:15

@howaboutchocolate. It’s children over 2 so technically 3+. They mainly seem to wear cute cloth masks tied with four strings at the back, my children are older so I haven’t had to attempt to put one on a toddler.

They wouldn’t be able to go anywhere much without one here, they’re mandatory in shops, on playgrounds, in preschools, etc. Most schools aren’t open here anyway yet ( although my son’s opened this week, hurray!) so most are probably still at home anyway.

EmeraldShamrock · 23/10/2020 00:21

Mine do in public places. The older DC wears one in school too.

scrivette · 23/10/2020 03:45

Mine do on the rare occasion I take them into the shops but if they want to take them off I let them. They like them as they are the same as mine.

SoVeryLost · 23/10/2020 04:13

@flaviaritt

chinateapot

I was replying to someone who did specify a 2 year old, so sorry you didn’t see that.

There’s no point in us having a long disagreement about this. I am not going to change my mind.

I hope you never have to hold down your three year old for drs to take blood. That feels an awful lot like child abuse when you’re the one doing it. I’d rather it was me there to soothe him over a stranger.

I could tell me DS’s mood without seeing his mouth at two. Two year olds are very expressive.

I don’t want to change your mind but I wish people like you would think before you put something out into the world. It isn’t abuse, it isn’t what you would do. They are very different things. Parenting is difficult enough without additional judging, most people are just trying to do their best.

Fungster · 23/10/2020 04:14

Personally I regard it as child abuse and would never put a mask on such a a young child.
What a moronic attitude.

Fungster · 23/10/2020 04:16

Mines almost 8, never has and hopefully never will. I don’t want to normalise it. He’s been in shops, shopping centres, restaurants and were in central london. He’s also been to hospital twice.

Jesus wept. Another moron.

Barryallen · 23/10/2020 04:18

I’m a Brit living in the US right now and in our state all kids 2 and up have to wear them- we’ve been doing it for months and it’s totally normal now. My teens wear masks all day at school and for sports and when they are out in public. I teach Kindergarten and my 5 year olds wear masks quite happily all day (we do build in mask breaks and obviously they have to eat;)
I think if it’s mandated by local or state government then people just get on with it.
From what I experience every day, young children are more than capable of wearing masks, dealing with them safely and understanding and taking responsibility for keeping everyone safer.

Fungster · 23/10/2020 04:19

My kids are 6, 9 and 12. Youngest was 5 when this all started. We all wear masks when we are indoors other than in our own home or in my SIL's home, where we frequently spend time. Run into a store? Put on a mask. Go to the gas station for candy? Put on a mask. Every time.

Every time.

Fungster · 23/10/2020 04:19

@Barryallen

I’m a Brit living in the US right now and in our state all kids 2 and up have to wear them- we’ve been doing it for months and it’s totally normal now. My teens wear masks all day at school and for sports and when they are out in public. I teach Kindergarten and my 5 year olds wear masks quite happily all day (we do build in mask breaks and obviously they have to eat;) I think if it’s mandated by local or state government then people just get on with it. From what I experience every day, young children are more than capable of wearing masks, dealing with them safely and understanding and taking responsibility for keeping everyone safer.
Same here.
Mypathtriedtokillme · 23/10/2020 04:28

My 4 and 6 year old do when we go to the DR’s, public transport or shopping (not in the UK)
Our youngest likes wearing them while our oldest will wear if she has too. (Either like begins the ear ones and have elastic straps or tie behind the head)
We live in an area with a large Asian population so everyone wears them and it’s normal. (People worn them if they had a cold prior to covid)

FixItUpChappie · 23/10/2020 05:37

Mine wear them everywhere - it's been mandatory indoors where I am for months. They wear them in school as well. I think they are just used to it now.

flaviaritt · 23/10/2020 06:20

Fungster

That convinced me. Hmm

flaviaritt · 23/10/2020 06:23

SoVeryLost

You have misunderstood me horribly. Of course there are times when we have to make our children go through very unpleasant processes because the alternative is worse. This isn’t one of them. COVID isn’t a risk to very small children. By forcing them to wear masks we are protecting adults, not them. And the reality is a 3 year old won’t wear a mask correctly, will make it wet, will touch it constantly, and is at knee height to adults, so the chances of them passing on a virus in the supermarket by walking past someone is disproportionate to making them cover their face and mouth.

Please don’t imply I am someone who speaks without thought. I’m not.

letsghostdance · 23/10/2020 06:30

Everyone who doesn't want to normalise mask wearing for their children can have a great time normalising the pandemic that is running out of control with no end in sight because people won't follow scientific guidance and cover their bloody faces.

VashtaNerada · 23/10/2020 06:31

Mine does on public transport because by the time the government announced that under 11s were exempt we’d already bought them and were using public transport for school (keyworkers group). He’s happy to keep wearing it so he does.