Masks optional by spring break

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate the masks for little kids. Why are we doing this to them when they don’t even get that sick? It’s crazy.

Key word: YOU hate the masks. The little kids are fine. Stop trying to make this about you. You can't adapt. They can. They HAVE.

YOU will need to adapt when all our kids unmask this spring. There...see how that feels lol.

Apparently, everyone glossed over my post. I'm a highschooler with elementary aged siblings. No one cares about masks. Not my friends, not their friends, not my siblings. My mom lied to the school board and said my siblings come home crying every day over masks as if lying is normal. I realized then adults don't care about us at all. They care about their own agendas and are using us as scapegoats. I have no doubt a few kids hate masks. Not the majority. Not anyone I know. Not anyone they know. Not their siblings. Not my siblings. Not their friends. However, we've all come to find out our parents are trying to spin a different narrative for us. In our name. On our behalf. It's horrible being only 16 and realizing your parents are liars. I've had friends tell me their parents have asked them to cry at school board meetings. To ask them to lie about how they felt about virtual. To speak without their consent about their "experiences" as a mask wearing student. It's far, far worse than MoCo trying to protect citizens. You have all cultivated this entire community of distrust and we all see it. Kids see it. Teenagers see it. We aren't mentally traumatized by masks or virtual learning. We are traumatized by seeing people we trusted turning into actual liars, while using us as their scapegoat. If we need mental health professionals, it's probably because of the mental health professionals in this community just trying to get their name in the news. No one listens to us though because we are kids.

I hear you. My kids don't mind wearing mask either. I have yet to meet a kid that has a problem with wearing masks. I think the school year should finish out with masks for consistency. If numbers stay low over the summer, remove the mandate for next school year.

My daughter forgets her mask is on. Because she has worn it 40 hours a week for 18m. But she is having a terrible time learning to read, her speech is off (slurred almost muffled) and she has some social anxiety and OCD. Now, it’s totally possible that masks are not the cause but I can’t find out because I can’t unmask her. It’s gone on long enough. We need to give parents the choice especially for youngest kids. Especially when cases are precipitously declining. We lack nuance. Masks should have always been optional when case rates were a joke.

Interesting. My 12yo 6th grader has started to show slurred speech as well.

We had speech therapy when he was much younger, but it feels like he's reverting a bit.

If masks become optional, he will remove his. Partner and I are vaxxed + boosted and he and his sibling both fully vaxxed. I believe in the vaccine.

+1000 It all comes down to this. The ONLY place my kids wear masks at all now is at school. They are back and forth to activities, stores and friends' homes all the time without them. They also take them off at school more than they are supposed to, which is fine with me. A tsk tsk from the hall monitor types from time to time, but no real consequences yet.

Predicting we'll all be done with them by spring break. Can't wait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basically at this point I think the vast majority of us can ignore anyone who says,

We MUST MASK in schools no matter what!

OR

We MUST NOT MASK in schools no matter what!

It's pretty obvious that this needs to be a balancing act that takes the needs of the community and individual needs into consideration. Vaccination and booster rates, rates of community spread, transmissibility and other public health metrics can be weighed together with the results of continually emerging research on the benefits, efficacy, costs, risks, and pitfalls of masking -- not to mention other situational and contextual factors (e.g. indoors or outdoors, small or large groups, etc etc.)

Personally I would wait until this surge passes, and then -- in the absence of new information -- immediately remove outdoor masking requirements for all students and masking requirements for kids under the age of 6. I'd very likely make masking optional in elementary schools -- it sounds like lots of folks would keep masking and that's great -- but keep them mandatory in high schools where masking is likely more effective and carries lower social costs.

But basically if you are taking an all or nothing approach at this point, the vast majority of us are ignoring you. Covid is here to stay -- and community masking has more than a non-zero effect on transmission rates -- so the policy response has to be measured and moderate -- not ALL THE TIME or NEVER.

Obviously.

I agree with you, but I will point out that the policy is currently an ‘all or nothing’ response. Masks for all kids, over the age of 2, all the time. Some schools are even pushing them for outdoor recess.

Definitely no masks for kids age 6 and under. Definitely no masks outdoors.

Plus, the people pushing to remove the mask mandate are not trying to ban masks. They are simply looking for mask choice.

Yup. But I don't think folks who want a more nuanced approach are going to get much mileage out of meeting ALL! with NOTHING! Instead, those looking for more flexibility might get a lot more support if they focus on the lowest hanging fruit -- e.g. making masking optional for ages 2-6. they need to distance themselves from the crazy masking-is-the-new-Holocaust crowd and meet those who have real concerns with wisdom and compassion.

And honestly, the population here is relatively well-educated, civic-minded, and reasonable -- DCUM trolls notwithstanding. So the successful approach has to be honest that Public Health Measure is weighing a likely decrease in Covid transmission by X% -- potentially preventing Y in Z number of people -- against costs (A), risks (B), and concerns (C).

Those who seek to maintain mandatory masking in schools need to acknowledge that whatever downsides there may be, masking in schools carries a non-zero cost. For example, costs in actual dollars (which are NOT nothing or negligible for many students), physical discomfort (however minor,) speech / communication issues (again, however marginal or minor) -- and acknowledge that even very minor downsides start to add up over time. There is a difference between wearing a mask in school for a month and masking for a year. Which doesn't necessarily translate to yes/no (!) -- but an honest approach HAS to acknowledge that downsides might accrue over time.

By the same token, those who seem to make changes to policy have to acknowledge the potential risks of making masking voluntary. The risks are non-zero. Even if the effects of community masking are subtle, even if masking protects less against certain variants, even if we don't have best-possible evidence that cloth masks are better than no masks, etc etc -- An honest approach HAS to acknowledge the possibility of increased risk of harm to members of the community.

None of that implies MASKING or NO MASKING! Just -- it is a balancing act. There are costs and risks and IMO the key is to make sure that benefits and costs alike are distributed as equitably as possible.

I’m surprised you think the 2-6 age group is the lowest hanging fruit. The 2-4yos will be the last eligible for vaccination and the last to remove their masks, in this area anyway, because masking has to be tied to vaccination to boost vaccination rates.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s going to take something from the CDC saying that vaccinated individuals no longer have to mask in schools when community cases are at XX rates. At some point I think they will, because vaccinations for kids are lagging. I don’t know if it will happen this school year though, but maybe for the fall. There’s NO WAY MCPS would make this move without CDC cover.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate the masks for little kids. Why are we doing this to them when they don’t even get that sick? It’s crazy.

Because we're trying to balance the needs of the individual to the needs of the community.

Masking a six-year old does very little for the ‘needs of the community’.

What happens if that six year old is allowed to take off her mask? It’s not the end of the world. Teachers are vaccinated. They can be boosted. They can wear masks if they choose. Other students can wear their masks.

Six year olds never leave school and interact with the community? Who knew!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would anyone unmask before covid pills / treatments are available?

Just keep moving goalposts

What is “moving goalposts” to some is “adapting to shifting conditions” to others.

At what point do we decide that mass masking of children isn't necessary mitigation strategy?

Duh when it’s not a pandemic.

So first it was when the teachers could get vaccinated then it was when the kids could get vaccine now it's just "when it's not a pandemic"
Like when is this going to be over?! I'm over this shit.

We're all over it. Unfortunately, Covid isn't over with us. Until it's exhausted it's bag of tricks, we'll be dancing to its tune.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate the masks for little kids. Why are we doing this to them when they don’t even get that sick? It’s crazy.

Key word: YOU hate the masks. The little kids are fine. Stop trying to make this about you. You can't adapt. They can. They HAVE.

YOU will need to adapt when all our kids unmask this spring. There...see how that feels lol.

Apparently, everyone glossed over my post. I'm a highschooler with elementary aged siblings. No one cares about masks. Not my friends, not their friends, not my siblings. My mom lied to the school board and said my siblings come home crying every day over masks as if lying is normal. I realized then adults don't care about us at all. They care about their own agendas and are using us as scapegoats. I have no doubt a few kids hate masks. Not the majority. Not anyone I know. Not anyone they know. Not their siblings. Not my siblings. Not their friends. However, we've all come to find out our parents are trying to spin a different narrative for us. In our name. On our behalf. It's horrible being only 16 and realizing your parents are liars. I've had friends tell me their parents have asked them to cry at school board meetings. To ask them to lie about how they felt about virtual. To speak without their consent about their "experiences" as a mask wearing student. It's far, far worse than MoCo trying to protect citizens. You have all cultivated this entire community of distrust and we all see it. Kids see it. Teenagers see it. We aren't mentally traumatized by masks or virtual learning. We are traumatized by seeing people we trusted turning into actual liars, while using us as their scapegoat. If we need mental health professionals, it's probably because of the mental health professionals in this community just trying to get their name in the news. No one listens to us though because we are kids.

I hear you. My kids don't mind wearing mask either. I have yet to meet a kid that has a problem with wearing masks. I think the school year should finish out with masks for consistency. If numbers stay low over the summer, remove the mandate for next school year.

My daughter forgets her mask is on. Because she has worn it 40 hours a week for 18m. But she is having a terrible time learning to read, her speech is off (slurred almost muffled) and she has some social anxiety and OCD. Now, it’s totally possible that masks are not the cause but I can’t find out because I can’t unmask her. It’s gone on long enough. We need to give parents the choice especially for youngest kids. Especially when cases are precipitously declining. We lack nuance. Masks should have always been optional when case rates were a joke.

Interesting. My 12yo 6th grader has started to show slurred speech as well.

We had speech therapy when he was much younger, but it feels like he's reverting a bit.

If masks become optional, he will remove his. Partner and I are vaxxed + boosted and he and his sibling both fully vaxxed. I believe in the vaccine.

+1000 It all comes down to this. The ONLY place my kids wear masks at all now is at school. They are back and forth to activities, stores and friends' homes all the time without them. They also take them off at school more than they are supposed to, which is fine with me. A tsk tsk from the hall monitor types from time to time, but no real consequences yet.

Predicting we'll all be done with them by spring break. Can't wait.

My neighbor has a 6 year old who wear glasses. The masks make it such a pain for him with the fogging. They’ve tried everything and the kid just takes off the glasses now, despite the fact that he can’t see as well.

Give the kids a choice, especially in ES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate the masks for little kids. Why are we doing this to them when they don’t even get that sick? It’s crazy.

Because we're trying to balance the needs of the individual to the needs of the community.

Masking a six-year old does very little for the ‘needs of the community’.

What happens if that six year old is allowed to take off her mask? It’s not the end of the world. Teachers are vaccinated. They can be boosted. They can wear masks if they choose. Other students can wear their masks.

Six year olds never leave school and interact with the community? Who knew!

What are you talking about. This thread is about the need for 6 year olds to be masked at school. Not about kids visiting a nursing home, where yes, of course they should be masked.

A six year old at school, with other six year olds, and her 24 year old vaccinated and boosted teacher? No, the kid didn’t need to be masked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate the masks for little kids. Why are we doing this to them when they don’t even get that sick? It’s crazy.

Key word: YOU hate the masks. The little kids are fine. Stop trying to make this about you. You can't adapt. They can. They HAVE.

YOU will need to adapt when all our kids unmask this spring. There...see how that feels lol.

Apparently, everyone glossed over my post. I'm a highschooler with elementary aged siblings. No one cares about masks. Not my friends, not their friends, not my siblings. My mom lied to the school board and said my siblings come home crying every day over masks as if lying is normal. I realized then adults don't care about us at all. They care about their own agendas and are using us as scapegoats. I have no doubt a few kids hate masks. Not the majority. Not anyone I know. Not anyone they know. Not their siblings. Not my siblings. Not their friends. However, we've all come to find out our parents are trying to spin a different narrative for us. In our name. On our behalf. It's horrible being only 16 and realizing your parents are liars. I've had friends tell me their parents have asked them to cry at school board meetings. To ask them to lie about how they felt about virtual. To speak without their consent about their "experiences" as a mask wearing student. It's far, far worse than MoCo trying to protect citizens. You have all cultivated this entire community of distrust and we all see it. Kids see it. Teenagers see it. We aren't mentally traumatized by masks or virtual learning. We are traumatized by seeing people we trusted turning into actual liars, while using us as their scapegoat. If we need mental health professionals, it's probably because of the mental health professionals in this community just trying to get their name in the news. No one listens to us though because we are kids.

I hear you. My kids don't mind wearing mask either. I have yet to meet a kid that has a problem with wearing masks. I think the school year should finish out with masks for consistency. If numbers stay low over the summer, remove the mandate for next school year.

My daughter forgets her mask is on. Because she has worn it 40 hours a week for 18m. But she is having a terrible time learning to read, her speech is off (slurred almost muffled) and she has some social anxiety and OCD. Now, it’s totally possible that masks are not the cause but I can’t find out because I can’t unmask her. It’s gone on long enough. We need to give parents the choice especially for youngest kids. Especially when cases are precipitously declining. We lack nuance. Masks should have always been optional when case rates were a joke.

Interesting. My 12yo 6th grader has started to show slurred speech as well.

We had speech therapy when he was much younger, but it feels like he's reverting a bit.

If masks become optional, he will remove his. Partner and I are vaxxed + boosted and he and his sibling both fully vaxxed. I believe in the vaccine.

+1000 It all comes down to this. The ONLY place my kids wear masks at all now is at school. They are back and forth to activities, stores and friends' homes all the time without them. They also take them off at school more than they are supposed to, which is fine with me. A tsk tsk from the hall monitor types from time to time, but no real consequences yet.

Predicting we'll all be done with them by spring break. Can't wait.[/quote

You don't shop in Moco? Masks are required in stores, but to each their own. People do whatever these days anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate the masks for little kids. Why are we doing this to them when they don’t even get that sick? It’s crazy.

Because we're trying to balance the needs of the individual to the needs of the community.

Masking a six-year old does very little for the ‘needs of the community’.

What happens if that six year old is allowed to take off her mask? It’s not the end of the world. Teachers are vaccinated. They can be boosted. They can wear masks if they choose. Other students can wear their masks.

Six year olds never leave school and interact with the community? Who knew!

What are you talking about. This thread is about the need for 6 year olds to be masked at school. Not about kids visiting a nursing home, where yes, of course they should be masked.

A six year old at school, with other six year olds, and her 24 year old vaccinated and boosted teacher? No, the kid didn’t need to be masked.

Are you being deliberately obtuse? A properly functioning society balances individual needs with community needs.

A six year old can pick up the virus and spread it around. Masking when hanging out in rooms with 20-30 other people for 6+ hours a day helps keep community spread low.

[Anonymous]

Seriously, people. Stop the crazy masking all the time for everyone everywhere. It’s insane. The harm to kids with these craziness and up and down on restrictions is much, much greater than Covid is to them. No masks don’t mean on guard also goes down. If you are visit a nursing home - get out the N95. most folks have paper or cloth and they don’t do a ton of good.
Numbers are again plummeting - time to give the nation a break..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate the masks for little kids. Why are we doing this to them when they don’t even get that sick? It’s crazy.

Key word: YOU hate the masks. The little kids are fine. Stop trying to make this about you. You can't adapt. They can. They HAVE.

YOU will need to adapt when all our kids unmask this spring. There...see how that feels lol.

Apparently, everyone glossed over my post. I'm a highschooler with elementary aged siblings. No one cares about masks. Not my friends, not their friends, not my siblings. My mom lied to the school board and said my siblings come home crying every day over masks as if lying is normal. I realized then adults don't care about us at all. They care about their own agendas and are using us as scapegoats. I have no doubt a few kids hate masks. Not the majority. Not anyone I know. Not anyone they know. Not their siblings. Not my siblings. Not their friends. However, we've all come to find out our parents are trying to spin a different narrative for us. In our name. On our behalf. It's horrible being only 16 and realizing your parents are liars. I've had friends tell me their parents have asked them to cry at school board meetings. To ask them to lie about how they felt about virtual. To speak without their consent about their "experiences" as a mask wearing student. It's far, far worse than MoCo trying to protect citizens. You have all cultivated this entire community of distrust and we all see it. Kids see it. Teenagers see it. We aren't mentally traumatized by masks or virtual learning. We are traumatized by seeing people we trusted turning into actual liars, while using us as their scapegoat. If we need mental health professionals, it's probably because of the mental health professionals in this community just trying to get their name in the news. No one listens to us though because we are kids.

I hear you. My kids don't mind wearing mask either. I have yet to meet a kid that has a problem with wearing masks. I think the school year should finish out with masks for consistency. If numbers stay low over the summer, remove the mandate for next school year.

My daughter forgets her mask is on. Because she has worn it 40 hours a week for 18m. But she is having a terrible time learning to read, her speech is off (slurred almost muffled) and she has some social anxiety and OCD. Now, it’s totally possible that masks are not the cause but I can’t find out because I can’t unmask her. It’s gone on long enough. We need to give parents the choice especially for youngest kids. Especially when cases are precipitously declining. We lack nuance. Masks should have always been optional when case rates were a joke.

Interesting. My 12yo 6th grader has started to show slurred speech as well.

We had speech therapy when he was much younger, but it feels like he's reverting a bit.

If masks become optional, he will remove his. Partner and I are vaxxed + boosted and he and his sibling both fully vaxxed. I believe in the vaccine.

Trolls moving the goalposts.

You guys honestly need to stop calling anyone that disagrees with you a troll. I'm PP with the 12yo that has started to slur.

He did get speech therapy as a toddler. And he did get again as a kindergartner. And he HAS had become much more difficult to understand this year since returning to school with a mask.

I'm not a troll moving the goal post. We're all vaxxed and boosted. And I would like to see him speak more clearly. The benefit of him speaking more clearly and potentially resuming his speech therapy outweighs the risk of Covid. It just does.

So, if masks become optional, he will remove his.

When you call all of us reasonable people 'troll's it makes it REALLY REALLY hard to support these mitigations. You can't act like masking children doesnt have collateral damage; it does

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate the masks for little kids. Why are we doing this to them when they don’t even get that sick? It’s crazy.

Because we're trying to balance the needs of the individual to the needs of the community.

Masking a six-year old does very little for the ‘needs of the community’.

What happens if that six year old is allowed to take off her mask? It’s not the end of the world. Teachers are vaccinated. They can be boosted. They can wear masks if they choose. Other students can wear their masks.

Six year olds never leave school and interact with the community? Who knew!

What are you talking about. This thread is about the need for 6 year olds to be masked at school. Not about kids visiting a nursing home, where yes, of course they should be masked.

A six year old at school, with other six year olds, and her 24 year old vaccinated and boosted teacher? No, the kid didn’t need to be masked.

Are you being deliberately obtuse? A properly functioning society balances individual needs with community needs.

A six year old can pick up the virus and spread it around. Masking when hanging out in rooms with 20-30 other people for 6+ hours a day helps keep community spread low.

But that doesnt sound like balance? In fact, that sounds like completely ignoring his real individual need. That's not balance at all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate the masks for little kids. Why are we doing this to them when they don’t even get that sick? It’s crazy.

Because we're trying to balance the needs of the individual to the needs of the community.

Masking a six-year old does very little for the ‘needs of the community’.

What happens if that six year old is allowed to take off her mask? It’s not the end of the world. Teachers are vaccinated. They can be boosted. They can wear masks if they choose. Other students can wear their masks.

Six year olds never leave school and interact with the community? Who knew!

What are you talking about. This thread is about the need for 6 year olds to be masked at school. Not about kids visiting a nursing home, where yes, of course they should be masked.

A six year old at school, with other six year olds, and her 24 year old vaccinated and boosted teacher? No, the kid didn’t need to be masked.

Are you being deliberately obtuse? A properly functioning society balances individual needs with community needs.

A six year old can pick up the virus and spread it around. Masking when hanging out in rooms with 20-30 other people for 6+ hours a day helps keep community spread low.

Does it though? I don't think I've seen conclusive evidence of that. Certainly helps some people to feel good though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate the masks for little kids. Why are we doing this to them when they don’t even get that sick? It’s crazy.

Because we're trying to balance the needs of the individual to the needs of the community.

Masking a six-year old does very little for the ‘needs of the community’.

What happens if that six year old is allowed to take off her mask? It’s not the end of the world. Teachers are vaccinated. They can be boosted. They can wear masks if they choose. Other students can wear their masks.

Six year olds never leave school and interact with the community? Who knew!

What are you talking about. This thread is about the need for 6 year olds to be masked at school. Not about kids visiting a nursing home, where yes, of course they should be masked.

A six year old at school, with other six year olds, and her 24 year old vaccinated and boosted teacher? No, the kid didn’t need to be masked.

Are you being deliberately obtuse? A properly functioning society balances individual needs with community needs.

A six year old can pick up the virus and spread it around. Masking when hanging out in rooms with 20-30 other people for 6+ hours a day helps keep community spread low.

Does it though? I don't think I've seen conclusive evidence of that. Certainly helps some people to feel good though.

Six year olds can't spread covid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate the masks for little kids. Why are we doing this to them when they don’t even get that sick? It’s crazy.

Because we're trying to balance the needs of the individual to the needs of the community.

Masking a six-year old does very little for the ‘needs of the community’.

What happens if that six year old is allowed to take off her mask? It’s not the end of the world. Teachers are vaccinated. They can be boosted. They can wear masks if they choose. Other students can wear their masks.

Six year olds never leave school and interact with the community? Who knew!

What are you talking about. This thread is about the need for 6 year olds to be masked at school. Not about kids visiting a nursing home, where yes, of course they should be masked.

A six year old at school, with other six year olds, and her 24 year old vaccinated and boosted teacher? No, the kid didn’t need to be masked.

Are you being deliberately obtuse? A properly functioning society balances individual needs with community needs.

A six year old can pick up the virus and spread it around. Masking when hanging out in rooms with 20-30 other people for 6+ hours a day helps keep community spread low.

But that doesnt sound like balance? In fact, that sounds like completely ignoring his real individual need. That's not balance at all

No one has a problem with his removing his mask once masking is optional. The debate is over what the criteria should be for making masks optional.

Out of curiosity, do you think the issue is his hearing others’ speech being muffled and then his speaking likewise or that he is getting sloppier with his enunciation because his mask muffles his speaking or is it both? I sincerely hope his needs can be balanced with public health in a way that doesn’t affect his speech long term.