My kids are 4 and 6 and have only been in our house, our backyard, and out for walks around the block since this thing started. It just occurred to me today that going forward, they might need masks. Do you have masks for your kids? Do they wear them? There have only been 1200 cases in my region of 650,000, and only 20 deaths outside of nursing homes, so we’re far from a hotspot. I have to be honest, it terrifies me/breaks my heart to think of putting masks on my babies.
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It totally is heartbreaking!
My MIL sewed 1 mask for each of my 4yos and I bought a 5 pack of kid masks from old navy last week.
We don't go out other than walks now.....but with this lasting thru next winter I'm sure we will need them. I anticipate masks to some degree being part of daycare.....not that it will be effective with little kids or with the fact that they would have to take them off 4x a day to eat...hah. but.....
I almost teared up tonight when my DH told DS tonight that he needed to go to home depot to pick up something to fix a light fixture and my son excitedly asked to join him (normal reaction) but he said "daddy I'll come with you and wear my mask!"
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My kids are 2 and 4, so no I haven't. I won't bring them anywhere indoors though. And I have a couple of the masks I could knot the elastic to fit a kid face if needed.
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I made a mask each for my two older kids (I guess the little one will need one when she turns 2 in August assuming it’s still going). My 8 year old actually did wear one - to get an allergy shot. Very possible you would need it for doctor visits if one comes up. My 5 year old thinks it’s cool, but I can’t imagine trying to keep one on a 2 year old!
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My MIL made two each for my 7 and 4.5 year old. They wear them for fun on walks sometimes but I haven't brought them anywhere I would need them to wear the masks.
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@erinbaderin: mine are also 4 and 6, and they each have 3 masks. They adjusted pretty easily—we wear them any time we leave the house, even if just for a walk/hiking.
I made them one type that ties on their head/attached to their ponytail—that one really stays on. Then I bought them another 2 each with characters (Descendants, LoLs, and Frozen 2).—but they are the elastic-on-the-ears type and I think those are harder for kids to keep on. It’s just so easy to pull down/fall down. But they like wearing them and we even have to wear masks to walk in the halls of our condo, so it’s the new normal and they are used to it.
Buy cute ones and then it’s a cute accessory. I got a bag of fabric scraps someone was getting rid of, with all kinds of prints—so I’m going to make several more so we can have many to match different outfits.
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Absolutely. My kids are the same ages. My mom and MIL ordered some. My kids like to go visit the chickens at our neighbors so wear them there because the neighbor kid (a teen) lets them into the coop. They also wear them if my in laws stop by to drop something off, and they want to say hi outside (in laws have not been doing a good job social distancing). The younger one will have her well visit soon so will need one then, and if they ever got sick and needed to see a doctor would need one. They don’t mind them, and it is like and accessory. And they seem to naturally know how to put them on their forehead like sunglasses or around their neck and then put them back on when needed.
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we have a couple and i'm planning to order more. i have the same emotional reaction to it, but i'm trying really hard to push myself outside of my comfort zone on this. initial studies seem to be showing that the masks are actually really effective and helpful at stopping spread. and as much as i hate the idea of masks, i hate the idea of another wave much more. one thing that has helped me is thinking about whether i would trade the last eight weeks at home for the last eight weeks being completely normal, except the whole family wearing masks when we leave the house. the answer is obvious. and it's such a relatively low-sacrifice way to try to keep things under control and start thinking about seeing the grandparents again! i think eventually they will start to feel normal and not scary.
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I do have one for my four year old but he really hasn't been anywhere where he would need it. I mostly got it in case we needed to go to the hospital or doctor's office. He's seen mine and other people with them on and he knows that he has one too and has worn it once. I am trying to avoid being in situations where he needs to wear one because frankly I think it's incredibly heartbreaking and sad and I don't want him to think it's normal. He gets scared easily and is very susceptible to suggestion so I don't want him to rely on a mask to feel safe. I also have a 2 year old and a 10 month old. There's a zero percent chance my toddler would leave it on his face so I don't know what we'll do if we're in a situation where he needs to wear one.
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Yup. We are in NJ so it’s a super hot spot. I hate it but i feel like we will need it even into 2021.
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No. My LO is 2. We don’t take her anywhere inside, just for walks outside and we stay pretty far from people. I personally wouldn’t make any kid wear one outside. The risk outside is quite low unless you are very close to others.
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We have two for DD (5). We haven't taken her anywhere but she has worn them on a few walks - mostly to get used to it. We plan to make or order more. I figure at some point she will need to go somewhere and I would rather be prepared. While it does break my heart to think of her wearing it for long periods of time, I think it's the reality we are facing.
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@JJ2626: I agree, I’m definitely not planning on it for outside, with the possible exception of if our local zoo opens up and requires them.
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@JJ2626: I’m in NJ and unfortunately - at least right now - masks are required to utilize the parks and public spaces in my (and all neighboring) townships, so we don’t have much of a choice.
We’ve got some super cutes ones that my kids are happy about but they are both complaining that it’s too hot and they can’t breathe (they CAN breathe). For those that have been practicing with their kids, it is just something to get used to? Should I adjust the fit under the chin so they get the feeling of more circulation? Everyone we have ties around the head rather than ears so I customize as needed.
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A neighbor was sewing masks and made one for my 4 year old. So far he has only tried it on for a few minutes because he hasn't gone anywhere except for walks in our neighborhood and in the car. However, his daycare opened this week and they are asking for kids 4+ to wear masks. We have not sent him back yet but I don't anticipate it changing anytime soon so he will have to adjust eventually.
He has made similar comments as others and seems interested to wear a mask as he has seen adults wearing them. Personally I am happy that it does not freak him out as it is going to be the way of life for an unknown amount of time.
@meadow: Curious about the quality and fit of the Old Navy masks for kids as I would like to get a few more to have on hand.
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Yes my MIL made 2 sets for the kids and we have used them occasionally but my kids are not fans. One set she used ponytail holders for the ears and they do not align well with my kids ears and clearly are uncomfortable for them. I ordered some from local people making them as I expect they may need them in the future at school.
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I had some made for my kiddos. My 7 year old was really good wearing it the one time I took her to the grocery store with me. My other child is an infant so I won't be putting it on him, but wanted him to have one just in case he may need it in the far future.
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We're in NYC so we bought a lot of masks (all different kinds to see what works best). So far I'm liking the ones that have elastic that wraps around the head (like this: https://losangelesapparel.net/collections/kids/products/3-pack-cotton-mask?variant=31818344595518) or ties in the back - the kids (7.5 and 3) have worn the elastic around the ears kind, and didn't complain about it, but it looks uncomfortable to me and I prefer the other styles for myself. Thankfully they haven't complained too much about wearing them the few times we've been outside. Hopefully we'll get used to having masks on before it gets hot and more uncomfortable, and it will be just a normal thing by then.
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We have them. My mom made them for both (they're 7 and 5) but we need to do a better job of getting them used to wearing them. I don't see many opportunities for them needing them except for if we need to go to the doctor's office at some point. But we bring them with us when we go on bike rides to our downtown to pick up ice cream in case it gets crowded. So far, it hasn't been but the weather will only be getting nicer.
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My mil made masks for mine (5 and 3). They’ve haven’t been anywhere that they’ve needed them. Although my 3-year-old likes playing with his and will randomly wear it around the house.
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My four-year-old saw me making masks for other family members and wanted one, so I let her pick out the fabric for her mask. She knows that she needs to wear it if she wants to come with me to the farmers' market (2x/week) or on walking errands (we can walk to the hardware, grocery, or drug store). For the most part, she has been good about it, as long as the errands don't drag on too long - then she complains about being thirsty.
We don't wear masks for recreation in the neighborhood.
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We’re in NY so a lot of people are wearing masks even in the parks so the kids have masks. We have a well check tomorrow and masks are required for adults and kids. I expect that masks will be necessary for school so I will need to get them a few more.
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Seeing people in masks kills me a little inside every time, but I finally got some for DH and I and our almost 7 year old from a couple local sellers. We haven't been anywhere beyond the neighborhood walk, and DH was using one of my scarves to go grocery shopping, but it occurred to me that masks are likely going to be a reality for a while so I got some. Interestingly, my daughter has actually really embraced the idea. I've had her wear one for a little bit on our daily walks just for practice and yesterday we did a long hike and she insisted on wearing hers the entire time even though we were alone on the trail "to protect from bug diseases." I have 3 for her and 3 each for us adults for when we head back into the world.
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My kiddos are 4 and almost 8 and I made them both masks when I made them for DH and myself. 4yo wore his for the first time yesterday when we went for our belated well visit (didn’t want to delay routine vaccines any more) and he did pretty well. The ones I made have elastic ear loops and did slip a few times though. I will make/buy some with ties moving forward.
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@erinbaderin: Yes. My son is four and he has a cloth mask with ducks on it. He’s worn it once so far - to Walgreens. It doesn’t bother him at all. I ordered it when all this started, figuring he’d need one intermittently maybe for the next year or so ....
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We do for my three year old, but he's only worn it once, when my husband had to take him to the grocery store. Otherwise, my kids don't really go anywhere that they'd need masks. We don't wear them for walks outside -- I see a lot of people wearing them while walking or running, but in terms of the way the disease is transmitted, it doesn't seem necessary.
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@MrsSCB: I agree it's not necessary on walks. We've been wearing them on our walks to just practice wearing them (since we don't go anywhere else right now) but I always worry I'm freaking people out lol
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@Mrs. Carrot: I’m sure you’re not, and practicing is a good idea! It doesn’t bother me that people wear them, I think it’s great to do whatever feels safe. I just don’t like that I’ve read about people being accosted and scolded by passersby for not wearing them. That’s a little scary, and I think about it when we go out
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I haven't yet, but my 3 year old hasn't left the house except on neighborhood walks this whole time. We have one adult size one that my husband and I switch off using (washing in between!) every time we go to the store or I go to the OB. Whenever we get to the point of bringing 3yo anywhere I suspect I will be more comfortable with one for her, but not yet.
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This reminds me that I really need to buy masks. I was just printing out some stuff at Redbubble and saw they had some cartoony ones, but forgotten all about it once I checked out
Eta: I just checked and the ones there are adult-sized. If anyone knows of a place online with kid sizes, please share. Thanks!
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Just had my DD 3 yo appt and she was required to wear a mask. We had one made for her and she did pretty good (had to be reminded to keep it over her nose) but it was sad to see.
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My parents brought us a whole bunch from a wholesale suppliers that sells n95 masks for kids. It’s def more easily breathable than cloth masks and my kids (7,4,and even 2 year old) can wear it for a good 30 minutes esp if they see others wearing it. We mostly stay home but they wore it for extended period of time when we stopped by my parents house and played in their backyard. Everyone wore masks
It’s a little jarring at first but it’s small price to pay to keep everyone safer.
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@Anagram: Do you have a link to instructions/a tutorial for the ones you made that attach to ponytails? I've made a few that go around their ears, but they (almost 8 years, 6 years, 3.5 years) have a really hard time putting them on themselves, so I want to consider other options in case they need to wear them at school in the future. We're in a hotspot, so I think it's a valid possibility.
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Yes I have one for my 4 year old. She wears it if she goes into the grocery store with me, and she had to wear it to her well check yesterday. She likes it, for now lol
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@PinkElephant: i followed this tutorial but made the kids’ masks about an inch or 1.5 inches smaller all around.
You can kind of see on these pictures how I tie the top string around their pony tail—and I used the lacing from a lacing toy they have (it’s like a long shoe string) and pipe cleaners for the wire nose piece—I just improvised with whatever I could find in the house.
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@Anagram: great - thanks! I haven't done any with ties but am ready to try (mainly because I don't feel like tracking down more elastic but have plenty of ribbon). I totally thought ties would be harder and never even considered tying them to my girls' ponytails - excellent idea!
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RE outside, in our state the rule is everyone over 2 has to wear masks anywhere that you can't maintain at least six feet of social distance, which in principle should be possible just walking around an uncrowded suburban neighborhood. Our local parents facebook group though has turned into a nasty tirade of posters ranting if they see someone, including small kids, walking around outside without a mask. Part of the reason I have not left my property with the kids in months is I'm more worried about an angry stranger berating me for not having a mask on my young infant than I am about catching the virus if I happen to walk within six feet of someone else outside for a split second...
We will do our very best to have our toddler keep a mask on if we have to take him out, but so far we've just avoided going out...if he returns to daycare, he will be required to wear one at all times (except obviously eating)
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@PinkElephant: I used this pattern for my daughter's mask:
https://www.craftpassion.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/#face-mask-pattern
I initially made all of ours with ties, and now that I got ahold of some elastic, I replaced the ribbon with elastic that loops behind her head. She can put it on independently with the elastic.
I have also used this pattern, but I find the other more pleasant to wear: https://sarahmaker.com/how-to-sew-a-surgical-face-mask-for-hospitals-free-pattern/
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@lady baltimore: thanks! I’d made my kids the pleated style, but may get ambitious and tackle something shaped like this since I think they’ll need to wear them to school. Or....I may just lose steam and purchase them each a few
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@JennyLayneAZ: that looks really comfy!
It’s a little jarring at first but it’s small price to pay to keep everyone safer.
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