Mask wearing caregivers for infants/preschoolers is going to mess with their language and emotional
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Anonymous
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Infants and preschoolers are going to suffer if their caregivers are wearing masks. Ever heard of the still-face experiment? Babies can become withdrawn and depressed if they can’t bond with the facial expressions of their caregivers. I don’t understand how daycare and preschools are going to operate with caregivers wearing masks.
I’m depressed about this as a mom of a 3 month and 2 year old relying on these centers. I may need to take a sabbatical. |
Anonymous
| I work in a center. It was a little strange at first but we're all used to it now. Faces are still expressive with noses/mouths covered. I was interacting with 3 babies this morning: a 5 month old, a 20 month old and a 16 month old. They were all able to return smiles from me while I was wearing a mask. They did not appear to be at all depressed and are reforming bonds with their caregivers. |
Anonymous
Please look into ppd since you have a 2 month old. Masks are not this big of a deal. If you truly want/can take a sabbatical, the do. Do not make it about masks. |
Anonymous
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There are alternatives to still wear masks. Such as:
https://buy.theclearmask.com/collections/frontpage/products/clearmask-box |
Anonymous
| I am willing to buy these clear masks for my daycare if I have a guarantee they’d use them! Thanks for sharing! |
Anonymous
| Your children will still get plenty of unmasked time from you in the evenings and on weekends. |
Anonymous
| I have to be honest that I have thought about that as well. My main concern is that my kid has never been away at school before and on his first day he will be dropped off in an unfamiliar place with mask wearing strangers. Are they even allowed to give him a hug if he is crying? |
Anonymous
| Some centers are using face shields without masks. It’s not safe at all because face shields protect the teacher wearing it only and leave the child and co workers completely exposed to their germs, but if your priority is for your child to see faces, you could choose one of those centers. |
Anonymous
Wow, these are cool. Has anyone tried them? Seem like a great idea all around. |
Anonymous
There are a few vendors who seem to offer this. A friend noted it's an issue in the Deaf community. |
Anonymous
| Wearing masks with ties is a hassle. |
Anonymous
Of course! We hug and/or pick up crying children to comfort them. Which is why we wear masks and scrubs and change them when needed. |
Anonymous
Having hearing loss is a hassle. If someone knows they’re going to be around someone with a hearing impairment, the least they can do is wear a mask that allows that person to read lips. Imagine what it would be like to go about your day having people saying things to you that you try so hard to understand and can’t quite make out. It’s exhausting and kids can’t even advocate for themselves. I know this post is about the effects of masks in young kids. But I just had to put that out there. |
Anonymous
| There are other ways to communicate. Have you heard of smizing? |
Anonymous
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Your concern is extremely valid OP.
If you read about clear masks you’ll find a lot of professionals recommending them as the solution for babies and young kids. You should see if your daycare center would be willing to try them. Also, as a parent who had a child in early intervention for severe language delay - yes, of course seeing the mouth and face is extremely important for young kids. |