Children two years of age and older should wear cloth face coverings outdoors if other people are nearby, says the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
1. Protection may be especially important at the present time. For better or worse, many jurisdictions are loosening restrictions on isolation in order to reopen the economy. That means more children (and adults) will be venturing outdoors – while the virus is still circulating. In some jurisdictions wearing masks outdoors is mandatory, with fines for the “unmasked.”
2. Having your children wear a face covering protects your entire family. Especially during a pandemic, your child may encounter people infected with the virus but showing no symptoms. Yet such people shed the virus into the air when they talk, sneeze and cough. And they may not be wearing face coverings and your child may not observe social distancing. Moreover, very rarely, the opposite occurs. Your asymptomatic child may be the one shedding viruses. Then your child’s face covering protects others.
(Many experts suggest replacing the phrase “social distancing” with “physical distancing.” Distancing is the key word here. Socializing should be encouraged – but at a distance.)
3. Optimal protection calls for wearing the right face covering, wearing it correctly, and wearing it when and where necessary. Traditional masks are not essential. Scarves or other cloth face coverings that fit comfortably and securely over the nose and mouth offer protection. Such face coverings should consist of tightly woven material that allows little light to pass through when held up to a light.
4. All you need to know about facial coverings is on a CDC website. It’s illustrated and a must read. Learn how to make face coverings (surprisingly simple), how to fit them on children, when and how to launder them, and much, much more. See https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html
5. Children under the age of two years need not wear masks. Placing masks on this age group can be near impossible. Moreover, wearing face coverings presents a remote risk of choking or suffocating. Generally, infants and toddlers can be adequately supervised outdoors by keeping them in carriages and strollers.
6. Young children react to face coverings in various ways. Some take to them as they take to lollipops – with enthusiasm. Others are reluctant to wear them, probably because they find them uncomfortable and make breathing a bit difficult. And some children become apprehensive when seeing face coverings on their parents. Likely, in those children’s thinking, face coverings make parents “disappear” along with the parent’s facial expressions which convey acceptance and security.
7. Getting young children to wear face coverings is not child’s play. It takes various doses of patience, coaxing, flattery, rewards/bribery and firmness, as appropriate to the child’s age. Have periods daily when all family members wear them. Make sure face coverings fit well but not too tightly. Use material with the child’s favorite cartoon character but be aware that many cartoon character face coverings available online are fun masks intended for children’s parties, not for preventing infections…. Let children see themselves in a mirror wearing one. Place a face covering on the child’s favorite stuffed animal.
8. Make face-covering time less onerous. No need to wear them for routine car drives, for example. Provide children with treats and toys to keep their hands and minds occupied. This also deters them from touching, pulling on, or placing their fingers under their face coverings.
9. During a pandemic, initiate COVID-19 precautions every time children have fever, cough, nasal congestion, vomiting or diarrhea. While every healthy child has these symptoms many times each year, ruling out COVID-19 is difficult. Start strict isolation procedures, including face coverings, immediately. Take temperatures several times a day. Continue precautions until you have spoken to your pediatric health care providers. Let them tell you what to do next. This is the age of telemedicine.
10. Miscellaneous. Many children with special needs (ADHD or autism, for example) are fearful of face coverings. Check the websites of organizations devoted to such conditions for tips to help you manage… Face coverings supplement – not replace – other practices for preventing COVID-19 spread. Continue distancing, frequent hand washing, and leaving home only when essential… Children who are considered high-risk or severely immunocompromised are encouraged to wear professional N95 masks… If you must take your child to a medical appointment, call ahead to see if medical facilities are running on time, and again before entering the door. No need to sit in a small exam room for extended periods.
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