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Original poster

Masks for kids

308 replies

bingowingsmcgee · 23/02/2021 19:40

Is it masks all day then for secondary kids? Can't they just offer all the staff the vaccine and then crack on? Pretty horrible for the kids.

OP posts:
HarveySchlumpfenburger · 23/02/2021 23:33

UsForThem combusting after Boris giving them what they wanted with one hand while taking away with the other is surely the laugh we all needed at this point in lockdown.

herecomesthsun · 23/02/2021 23:38

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay

So why did our chief medical officer and deputy stand there and say they were ineffective? why?

When was this?

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/chris-whitty-says-people-should-23297212

Our CMO says here that people should wear masks if huddled together. That would be classrooms then.

Also the WHO thinks masks should be worn in schools as a safety measure.

Also, masks have been compulsory in most indoor settings for many months, there's no reason why schools should be an exception, in fact they are particularly crowded.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 23/02/2021 23:44

That's the thing here. I've seen him say those sorts of things a lot. I suspect that what posters might be talking about was right back at the start when there wasn't much evidence. Which is either a little disingenuous by the poster asking the question or the answer about why they said it is that the CMO and CS have been looking at more and more evidence that's been produced since then and have changed their minds.

stopgap · 23/02/2021 23:47

My kids are 7 and 9. We are in Connecticut, USA. They have been wearing masks pretty much everywhere since March 2020. They’ve even done indoor sports in them.

When school went back in September, they started in a hybrid model, so only half the kids were in school at any one time. The hybrid school schedule skipped lunch, but added a longer recess so that the kids could get a mask break.

Now they are back full time, and it’s masks all the time, aside from their two recesses (30 minutes in the am and pm) and lunch. For lunch, they put on a short movie in the classroom so that the kids don’t chat much without masks. It’s not ideal, but my kids would rather this and be in school with their friends. Honestly, they barely notice and their relationships with friends haven’t suffered one iota.

Bing12 · 24/02/2021 00:49

Speaking to friend in America last night. All children (except preschool age) wear masks all day. America a big place obviously but she says very few outbreaks in schools where she is.
It’s not what anybody wants but it’s necessary right now.

Incogweeto · 24/02/2021 00:58

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay

UsForThem combusting after Boris giving them what they wanted with one hand while taking away with the other is surely the laugh we all needed at this point in lockdown.
Absolutely. Grin

But on a more serious note, that doesn't involve those irrelevant twerps, I do think mask use is a non-issue for the vast, vast majority of kids. I'm really glad they're bringing it in and know that most kids will be fine with it, bar the odd bit of moaning. It's not harmful and will help keep schools open for longer.

Incogweeto · 24/02/2021 01:05

why arent the keyworker kids wearing them right now?

Because the keyworker kids have space. Schools only have keyworker kids in, most are half full at most, many have far fewer. There are just a few 3 - 5 kids in each class at my children's schools. They are able to socially distance. The air circulates more. And the contacts are far fewer.

Schools asked for staggered returns or rotas to help recreate that environment and provide caution and safety but Boris refused. Instead he has thrown them all back in at the same time in a 'Big Bang' experiment, with masks to help mitigate the spread, which we all very much hope they will.

ThatsGoodCakeLove · 24/02/2021 01:24

A facemask on a child looks absolutely horrible in my opinion, it fills me with utter sadness when I see a child wearing one and would never force my child to cover his face unless I knew that it was absolutely necessary. I don't feel that it is necessary at all, and I cannot for the life of me understand why so many people are so accepting of it.
We have to see each others faces, it is so important for childrens development.

Can some one please post a link to some hard evidence showing the effectiveness of mask use in the transmission between children? I am not convinced that these measures are for anything other than to give a sense of security.

Waspnest · 24/02/2021 01:34

So why did our chief medical officer and deputy stand there and say they were ineffective? why?

That was probably getting on for a year ago. When we knew very little about the virus.

MrsTerryPratchett · 24/02/2021 01:58

A facemask on a child looks absolutely horrible in my opinion

Well my child rocks one. And feels good doing to her bit to try to stop transmission. And she sees more of more faces in school than out. Masks or not.

theThreeofWeevils · 24/02/2021 02:02

So much bloody whining, from parents: I suspect many children have a more adult outlook.
If you want them back in school, masks are the price for that. And non-exempt secondary pupils who do not wear masks properly should be excluded.

earthyfire · 24/02/2021 02:11

I don't think it is harder for children to wear masks than anyone else, but as an adult if I'm somewhere and I suddenly feel very breathless wearing a mask I can do something about it, I can get up go outside take off my mask etc. This won't be the case for children sitting a desk with a mask on for hours. For what it is worth my son chose to wear his mask all day at school before this lockdown, however his mask was snatched off his face and thrown about so many times by other pupils. Seems pointless wearing masks when they are being fiddled with and touched by other kids, hope the schools address this with reminders during tutor time and assemblies perhaps.

ThatsGoodCakeLove · 24/02/2021 02:27

@theThreeofWeevils
'If you want them back in school masks are the price for it'
Why should masks be the price for it though?
Do they actually effectively stop transmission of covid?

Glad your child rocks a mask @MrsTerryPratchett, but my child's face is absolutely lovely and I will not be concealing it to play along with anyones farce.

MrsTerryPratchett · 24/02/2021 02:44

Glad your child rocks a mask @MrsTerryPratchett, but my child's face is absolutely lovely and I will not be concealing it to play along with anyones farce.

What a shitty comment. Are you genuinely convinced that implying my child's face isn't lovely is anything other than a twatty thing to write. Of course your whole attitude is twatty but that just cements it, doesn't it?

theThreeofWeevils · 24/02/2021 02:44

'She's too lovely for her mask', eh @ThatsGoodCakeLove?
I think I can bear observers being deprived of her beauteous features for a while, tbh. Probably so can they, so long as her capacity to transmit infection is mitigated. Maybe they will all come and gaze in wonder when all this is over.

ThatsGoodCakeLove · 24/02/2021 02:58

Hahaha, that is not what is was implying you dramatic fools.
All childrens faces are absolutely beautiful and I'd rather they were not forced to cover them unnecessarily.
Absolute nut cases.

ZZTopGuitarSolo · 24/02/2021 03:29

Looking at the UK from outside it's baffling that you'd rather have your kids in lockdown and repeatedly having to isolate, when they could just wear masks and go to school as normal.

Mine have been going to school since last September, wearing masks while at school. They both wear glasses. One has asthma. Yes they've sat 3 hour exams while wearing masks. It's not that hard.

Every so often they chat to their cousins in the UK who aren't able to go to school and are struggling with their mental health and loneliness, and they feel really sorry for them.

OrangeBlossomsinthesun · 24/02/2021 06:25

@Mcmole

I feel so sorry for the kids who have to wear glasses to school - they will be struggling and it will definitely feel like a big deal to them!

Not sure it's a great idea in general either as a lot of kids won't be able to afford new masks for every day, especially if we're now being told that the cloth reusable ones are not so good - the other sort cost a small fortune for a family to be kitted out with several per day, for months at a time. I'm shocked just how much we've spent on the things and we purposely avoid going anywhere out of choice where they are required.

My DD has just started to wear glasses this week as we discovered she's short sighted. She uses an anti fog wipe and a blue surgical mask and they don't fog up. I admit I don't know how much the blue surgical ones cost in the UK, here the price is govt controlled so they cost cents and can be bought everywhere. I can usually buy a pack of ten for about a euro / 1.50.
OrangeBlossomsinthesun · 24/02/2021 06:28

@Malteser71

Did anyone ever sit exams in a mask?

My dd gets short of breath and panics in a mask. She has to sit gcse mock exams.

What else more do they want to pour onto these already stressed kids?

Again I don't get this. I'm sorry she doesn't like wearing them but I really don't understand why people say they get short of breath. It's a bit of thin fabric. Yes my DD had exams last week in a mask and glasses. She was fine, like the millions of other children around the world managing perfectly well for the last 7 months.
OrangeBlossomsinthesun · 24/02/2021 06:32

Wearing a mask doesn't make your immune system sluggish! Give over with the nonsense!

OrangeBlossomsinthesun · 24/02/2021 06:39

@ThatsGoodCakeLove

Hahaha, that is not what is was implying you dramatic fools. All childrens faces are absolutely beautiful and I'd rather they were not forced to cover them unnecessarily. Absolute nut cases.
But it is necessary if you want them in school. Mask wearing has been shown to cut transmission. If you don't feel she should wear one, keep her at home.
OrangeBlossomsinthesun · 24/02/2021 06:45

Also, I don't understand all these people who claim they can't breathe in a face mask? Do you otherwise have breathing issues or problems?

Radio4Rocks · 24/02/2021 06:52

@Wildswim

Or I can tell the school they're not wearing them. Yes, I feel that strongly.
Then keep them home. Don't think your preference should endanger others by your refusal.

Your DCs aren't special.

FrippEnos · 24/02/2021 07:04

@SunshiningBetty

Vulnerable people who were scared to send their child to school in case they brought Covid home were told to fuck off and deregister Confused Maybe it’s time for parents of snowflakes who don’t want to wear a mask to now do the same.
This ^
InvincibleInvisibility · 24/02/2021 07:05

FFS. So many special snowflakes on this thread.

My DC (6 and 9) have been in school full time since September. Not a single class closure in their school (central capital city). All children 6+ wearing masks (that they change at lunch).

Mine have never complained despite the 6 year old wearing glasses and the 9 year old having ADHD (and very stressed and anxious at school in general). They much prefer this than not being in school.

No one messes with other children's masks. The children don't play with them in class. The only message we've had from school is a) make sure the little ones wear masks that aren't too big and b) when the government changed the type of acceptable masks we were reminded to send DC in the right type.

DS2 (6) has a tendency to mumble so when learning his poem to recite in class we've made him wear his mask to ensure we can understand him, that's all.