Middle Schooler - Scared to Unmask for fear of bullying - mask fishing

[Anonymous]

This is just insane to me and everywhere i look it seems MCPS is writing about those that choose to keep their masks on getting bullied. How can we encourage our kids to ditch the mask as it is really just a security blanket or fear of being different? How are you all handling? Lead don't just wait for everyone else to come around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is just insane to me and everywhere i look it seems MCPS is writing about those that choose to keep their masks on getting bullied. How can we encourage our kids to ditch the mask as it is really just a security blanket or fear of being different? How are you all handling? Lead don't just wait for everyone else to come around.

"Alexa, how can I write a new post about how horrible people who mask are to sow more disinformation as per my promise to Corey without sounding too calculated? I know? I will phrase it as a series of questions? Run it though Google translate a few times so it doesn't look polished? Does that sound good? Can you help me with that, Alexa? ALEXA?"

[Anonymous]

How I am handling it:

I let my middle schooler make her own choices about masks.
If my child is bullied I take it up with the administration.
I don't freak out about "insanity", "fear", "bullying" etc.

What does bullying even mean to you? Bus stop thugs beating up your kid because he's wearing a mask? Or words of disagreement and disapproval? Not that I'd want the latter for my kid, either. But JFC teach your kid to have a back bone and stand up for himself, even as you talk to the school if you need support.

Honestly, sounds like you are fantasizing some kind of persecution complex.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is just insane to me and everywhere i look it seems MCPS is writing about those that choose to keep their masks on getting bullied. How can we encourage our kids to ditch the mask as it is really just a security blanket or fear of being different? How are you all handling? Lead don't just wait for everyone else to come around.

"Alexa, how can I write a new post about how horrible people who mask are to sow more disinformation as per my promise to Corey without sounding too calculated? I know? I will phrase it as a series of questions? Run it though Google translate a few times so it doesn't look polished? Does that sound good? Can you help me with that, Alexa? ALEXA?"

Exactly. Worry about your own kid OP. And stop pretending to care- you sound so uneducated and transparent.

[Anonymous]

It’s too soon to be worried about this. Let kids do what they want. Yes, there’s going to be peer pressure in the short term to continue wearing masks. That’s fine. It will die down quickly with some time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s too soon to be worried about this. Let kids do what they want. Yes, there’s going to be peer pressure in the short term to continue wearing masks. That’s fine. It will die down quickly with some time.

Fingers crossed!

[Anonymous]

I said in the other thread that it's more likely kids will be bullied for not wearing a mask than wearing one. This is MoCo, after all.

[Anonymous]

OP here - I guess I should have read the other thread. I did not so apparently people think I am a poster from that thread. Whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I said in the other thread that it's more likely kids will be bullied for not wearing a mask than wearing one. This is MoCo, after all.

Yep.

My kid wanted to not wear a mask this morning. She wears glasses and they always fog up. We said it was her choice.

She texted me that she ended up wearing a mask because everyone else was still masked. And that she felt awkward.

Hopefully it changes over time so that kids (and adults) really DO have a choice.

[Anonymous]

I encouraged my middle schooler to ditch the mask and she said people who unmask are idiots because it is too early and there is still a global pandemic.

Seems like a reasonable position to me, though I'd prefer that she unmask. It's been a rough year and it would be very slightly better if people could see her nice smile and she could speak more easily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How I am handling it:

I let my middle schooler make her own choices about masks.
If my child is bullied I take it up with the administration.
I don't freak out about "insanity", "fear", "bullying" etc.

What does bullying even mean to you? Bus stop thugs beating up your kid because he's wearing a mask? Or words of disagreement and disapproval? Not that I'd want the latter for my kid, either. But JFC teach your kid to have a back bone and stand up for himself, even as you talk to the school if you need support.

Honestly, sounds like you are fantasizing some kind of persecution complex.

Being a social pariah in MS is like death.

[Anonymous]

OP tell us about the conversations you have had with your child. Also, tell us about their fear. Also, please give specifics about bullying rather than saying, "everywhere I look".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is just insane to me and everywhere i look it seems MCPS is writing about those that choose to keep their masks on getting bullied. How can we encourage our kids to ditch the mask as it is really just a security blanket or fear of being different? How are you all handling? Lead don't just wait for everyone else to come around.

"Alexa, how can I write a new post about how horrible people who mask are to sow more disinformation as per my promise to Corey without sounding too calculated? I know? I will phrase it as a series of questions? Run it though Google translate a few times so it doesn't look polished? Does that sound good? Can you help me with that, Alexa? ALEXA?"

Exactly. Worry about your own kid OP. And stop pretending to care- you sound so uneducated and transparent.

Yep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I encouraged my middle schooler to ditch the mask and she said people who unmask are idiots because it is too early and there is still a global pandemic.

Seems like a reasonable position to me, though I'd prefer that she unmask. It's been a rough year and it would be very slightly better if people could see her nice smile and she could speak more easily.

+1 sort of.
I didn't exactly encourage my child to unmask but I did let my child know that the mask mandate had been dropped and that she should feel free to unmask today. I actually put out my hand expecting her to take off her mask and give it to me. She said she didn't want to. She's not the anxious type and goes out plenty but does not want the headache of having to quarantine if positive or getting a cold/flu that would keep her out of school or activities.
Seems reasonable. No worry of bullying. She texted that about 1/3-1/2 the school had unmasked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I said in the other thread that it's more likely kids will be bullied for not wearing a mask than wearing one. This is MoCo, after all.

Yep.

My kid wanted to not wear a mask this morning. She wears glasses and they always fog up. We said it was her choice.

She texted me that she ended up wearing a mask because everyone else was still masked. And that she felt awkward.

Hopefully it changes over time so that kids (and adults) really DO have a choice.

+1 my HS kid said everyone is still wearing a mask so he will to but will probably not cover his nose. Doesn’t want to stand out.