VA Toddlers & Masks - open letter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can put our heads in the sand and act like private businesses can do whatever the hell they want but that has never been the case for highly regulated businesses like child care. The governor was able to impose mask mandates for the health and safety of the kids and staff when it made sense. That mandate was dropped long ago and now public health guidance no longer recommends masks. There are also very legitimate health concerns with 2 years of forced masking of toddlers and preschools. Parents know best whether their kids would benefit from a social and emotional perspective to unmask and whether the risk outweighs the very low, low risk of COVID complications. Further, kids can still wear masks. I see nothing wrong with requiring private childcare centers to allow parents the option to unmask their children. Just like I see nothing wrong with requiring private businesses to take the kids out once a day to play outside or providing each kid a cot for nap time. These are all rules meant to advance the health and well being of children and removing masks at this point in the pandemic is in line with that goal.

+1 two short years ago this would be common sense but now masking is the religion of the left and it cannot be questioned even among its own followers

Please describe these “very legitimate health concerns” of which you speak. I’ve heard a lot of anecdotes, but not a lot of facts saying that they are categorically bad. I’m not talking about cloth masks which have largely been tossed aside. Please tell me the dangers of putting my kid in a properly sized surgical or procedure mask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can put our heads in the sand and act like private businesses can do whatever the hell they want but that has never been the case for highly regulated businesses like child care. The governor was able to impose mask mandates for the health and safety of the kids and staff when it made sense. That mandate was dropped long ago and now public health guidance no longer recommends masks. There are also very legitimate health concerns with 2 years of forced masking of toddlers and preschools. Parents know best whether their kids would benefit from a social and emotional perspective to unmask and whether the risk outweighs the very low, low risk of COVID complications. Further, kids can still wear masks. I see nothing wrong with requiring private childcare centers to allow parents the option to unmask their children. Just like I see nothing wrong with requiring private businesses to take the kids out once a day to play outside or providing each kid a cot for nap time. These are all rules meant to advance the health and well being of children and removing masks at this point in the pandemic is in line with that goal.

+1 two short years ago this would be common sense but now masking is the religion of the left and it cannot be questioned even among its own followers

Please describe these “very legitimate health concerns” of which you speak. I’ve heard a lot of anecdotes, but not a lot of facts saying that they are categorically bad. I’m not talking about cloth masks which have largely been tossed aside. Please tell me the dangers of putting my kid in a properly sized surgical or procedure mask.

https://www.npr.org/2022/01/28/1075842341/growing-calls-to-take-masks-off-children-in-school

[Anonymous]

Not much to worry about folks. Turns out kids brains are a lot more elastic than those of their parents’:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/03/05/baby-masks-slow-to-speak/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not much to worry about folks. Turns out kids brains are a lot more elastic than those of their parents’:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/03/05/baby-masks-slow-to-speak/

This amounts to a bunch of experts speculating and is bad journalism because it only cites the experts the author agrees with. it's basically peo mask propaganda. For starters, the idea that cloth masks as worn by toddlers protect anybody is pure fantasy and most reputable public health experts will admit this when pressed. The NPR article cited above is much more balanced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not much to worry about folks. Turns out kids brains are a lot more elastic than those of their parents’:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/03/05/baby-masks-slow-to-speak/

This amounts to a bunch of experts speculating and is bad journalism because it only cites the experts the author agrees with. it's basically peo mask propaganda. For starters, the idea that cloth masks as worn by toddlers protect anybody is pure fantasy and most reputable public health experts will admit this when pressed. The NPR article cited above is much more balanced.

The simple fact it is a “battle of the experts” because there is no data. You cannot deny that blind kids speak and form meaningful relationships with people. My own kid has been staring at my face this whole time and is still speech delayed, just like his parent was at his age. Anecdote is not the plural of data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not much to worry about folks. Turns out kids brains are a lot more elastic than those of their parents’:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/03/05/baby-masks-slow-to-speak/

This amounts to a bunch of experts speculating and is bad journalism because it only cites the experts the author agrees with. it's basically peo mask propaganda. For starters, the idea that cloth masks as worn by toddlers protect anybody is pure fantasy and most reputable public health experts will admit this when pressed. The NPR article cited above is much more balanced.

The simple fact it is a “battle of the experts” because there is no data. You cannot deny that blind kids speak and form meaningful relationships with people. My own kid has been staring at my face this whole time and is still speech delayed, just like his parent was at his age. Anecdote is not the plural of data.

What does this have to do with anything? Blind child do experience higher rates of speech delays and other developmental disabilities, and the research is unclear as to what role visual impairment plays in this. The fact is like you say, there is no data which means we don't know what if any impacts masks have on the development of young children. And that's not particularly comforting to me. What most experts thinking critically about this do know is that the masks sure as f&CK are not preventing COVID transmission.

[Anonymous]

If not now - when?

When will you be ready to unmuzzle? This is a serious question - what are you waiting for? And please don't say vaccines because once those are approved, there will still be another year or more for vaccines for those under 6 months - so you're good waiting for that, too?

And please don't say for cases to drop - they will almost assuredly NEVER be lower than they are now. The only thing that will cause cases to drop is when people stop testing.

So - when?

[Anonymous]

Pp you sound like you are really wound up. I’m fine with mass coming off for young kids when the vaccine is approved for them. I don’t understand why a lot of preschools couldn’t just wait till the end of the school year, but we are mask optional now. Not happy about it but oh well, we have good masks. You seem a little crazy.

[Anonymous]

Seriously, the person who asked about when we are ready to unmuzzle or whatever and is all wound up. You act like there is no realistic timeline. There is, just wait a month or two for the EUA for the little kids vaccine to come out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, the person who asked about when we are ready to unmuzzle or whatever and is all wound up. You act like there is no realistic timeline. There is, just wait a month or two for the EUA for the little kids vaccine to come out.

Ahhh so it is the vaccine! 20% of kids ages 5-12 are vaccinated. Yet they are not forced to mask. Soooo a vaccine for 6 months to 5 years does what exactly? Don't you care about the babies?! They are often in the same building...they won't be eligible.

Good to know that you're OK going mask optional in a month when your kid is eligible for a vaccine but my 5 month old won't be. Wow you're selfish. Oh but my 5 yr old vaccinated pre k student must continue to muzzle cause your 4 year old can't get a shot. Hypocritical idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pp you sound like you are really wound up. I’m fine with mass coming off for young kids when the vaccine is approved for them. I don’t understand why a lot of preschools couldn’t just wait till the end of the school year, but we are mask optional now. Not happy about it but oh well, we have good masks. You seem a little crazy.

N95s aren't approved for use in kids. Also your kid unmuzzles for hours every day as is. Hope you feel REAL safe in those masks as kids start to breathe and cough in the air around your family. I'm so sorry you've bought into the lies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pp you sound like you are really wound up. I’m fine with mass coming off for young kids when the vaccine is approved for them. I don’t understand why a lot of preschools couldn’t just wait till the end of the school year, but we are mask optional now. Not happy about it but oh well, we have good masks. You seem a little crazy.

N95s aren't approved for use in kids. Also your kid unmuzzles for hours every day as is. Hope you feel REAL safe in those masks as kids start to breathe and cough in the air around your family. I'm so sorry you've bought into the lies.

Lady, you are cookoo for coco puffs. Your kid can take off their muzzle now, they will be the only one but they can take it off. Most places have respected your choice by now, time for you to start respecting ours.