What masks do your kid wear to daycare every day?

[Anonymous]

My little one is almost 4, and his daycare just announces new policy that every kids (except babies & toddlers) need to wear masks to daycare everyday, effective soon. We also need to leave a spare mask in cubby in case of the one they wear get wet, dirty or dropped on the floor.

Please share your experiences & tips where to get masks for kid that age group. Is it better off to get disposable one or cloth mask? Reasons?Where to get it (Cloth or disposable) for little kid face, not the common 7-9 years old kid masks they sell online? Link please?Is disposable one more practical or too costly for daily basis? How many do I need to buy if I use cloth ones? Can kid uses adult disposable masks with tapes or tie the string shorter?

My little one does not wear mask, and he does not go outside of the home except going to daycare. Please instruct me how to teach a kid to follow the new policy of kid wearing mask at daycare, how to leave it on? how to remove for snack/lunch/outdoor play time? How not to take it off or drop on the floor? How not to touch it? Where should they put the mask when they take it off for snack time or so? Plastic cover, plastic bag, cubby?

Parents with young child already at daycare wearing masks, please help me to get over this & answer my questions. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

The old navy ones fit my 5yo pretty well.

[Anonymous]

My 4 yo wears the ones from Primary all day long at daycare.

[Anonymous]

Primary and Carter's fit my 4 year old.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, primary is out of stock. We really like the vista print kids masks, but they take forever to ship and aren't cheap. Would love suggestions for cheaper ones, as our preschool requires each child to have 10!

[Anonymous]

I don’t have a suggestion but am following. It is a stressful situation. My son is 3 and he supposed to wear a mask at daycare all day. Inside and outside in this humidity. He hasn’t been back yet but we may have to pull him out. We have tried different ways to get him to wear a mask. We tried to make it fun and positive. But he can’t tolerate it. He says says it feels like there is no air coming in and he can’t breathe.

[Anonymous]

I just want to add that I was really nervous about my 4 yo being able to wear a mask all day and he didn't do great with it when he was with me. But when he was back at daycare he got used to it really quickly and it looked to me like the other kids did as well--they all walk in wearing them and walk out wearing them and none of them take them off as soon as they walk out either, they seem pretty comfortable in them. Like everything, some of the things that are hard to get kids to do at home are sometimes easier at daycare/school when all of the other kids are doing them.

I'll also add a vote for the Primary masks. They go in and out of stock frequently so check back with them.

[Anonymous]

We’ve had the most success with homemade masks. ( Etsy, not me) The store-bought masks we have gotten don’t have a good nose wires in them and I noticed that they slipped down our five-year-old‘s face without a nose wire. You could probably get the sew in or stick on wires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just want to add that I was really nervous about my 4 yo being able to wear a mask all day and he didn't do great with it when he was with me. But when he was back at daycare he got used to it really quickly and it looked to me like the other kids did as well--they all walk in wearing them and walk out wearing them and none of them take them off as soon as they walk out either, they seem pretty comfortable in them. Like everything, some of the things that are hard to get kids to do at home are sometimes easier at daycare/school when all of the other kids are doing them.

I'll also add a vote for the Primary masks. They go in and out of stock frequently so check back with them.

+1 My kids are doing so much better wearing masks all day at camp than I thought they would. Old Navy masks fit them well.

[Anonymous]

Old Navy masks for my two year old so I assume they’d fit an older child as well. We also really like the Vista Print ones because of the filter option, but I second the PP who said they aren’t cheap and take forever to ship. But they also fit my two year old well.

[Anonymous]

I bought some of the kids masks at target, and just tied the elastic slightly and they seem to work great. No complaints about comfort from my 4 year old.

[Anonymous]

Bought some from Harris teeter target and etsy

[Anonymous]

These have worked the best for our 4yo:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/808483224/kids-size-face-mask-with-filter-pocket?ref=shop_home_active_1&crt=1

I don't bother with the filters. Adjustable ear loops were key. Be patient, it may take a few days for them to get used to it.

[Anonymous]

Director of a full day preschool in DC whose children and staff are all wearing masks here. Our kids (3-5 years old) are all wearing them reasonably well.

The youngest children have a harder time, of course, but we just remind them to put it back on, etc. The ones with loops over their ears seem to be the easiest for children to put on and off. They do need practice finding their ears!

At this time, although we know it's best for children to wear masks outside, they run and play too hard and the masks get soaking wet - so then they must be changed as a wet mask is harder to breathe in and doesn't actually stop the droplets! So we have the children wear to/from the playground because they are close to each other while walking in line - and then they hang them on a clothesline we made using wooden clips with their names on them (so they don't get mixed up). In the fall we'll have them wear them all the time on the playground.

Here are some tips:

In addition to all of the above places to buy toddler/preschool maks, Andy and Evan also have masks for the 2-5 year old set. Warning - the adult ones don't have a nose wire so I'm not sure if the children ones do. Kids don't always need the nose wires as their noses don't jut out like ours do!

Disposable ones for young children - 2 to 5 years old - are also available and for the PP who said her son just can't wear them, those might work best as they are lighter and therefore cooler than cloth masks.

I wear cloth ones but the disposable ones are lighter and feel cooler in this heat/humidity.

Practice with a short amount of time, etc.inside with air conditioning. Have your child start using it when they are doing something really fun and engrossing - building with legos, playdough, etc - this way they have something for their hands to do other than play with the mask and when you are doing something fun you tend not to feel it as much.

think about it; Standing in line in the heat waiting to get into a store with a mask on means you really notice the mask, heat, sweat, etc. Chatting with a friend having a wonderful conversation you don't notice the mask as much.

I have masks that can have filters put in them - and honestly, the filter does make it harder to take a deep breath so I don't always use them. So don't use the filters at the beginning for your child or at all.

I know that when we have 2 year olds start, they will have a harder time wearing them, but if we are pleasant and help them put it back on, we think it will be ok. But our very young 3s (just turned in July and August) are wearing them without any problems so our young 2s will grow into wearing them, I'm sure.

Finally, do NOT talk in front of your child about how uncomfortable they are, that you feel like you can't breathe, etc. as that creates that view in their minds.

Many adults report their child WANTS to wear a mask to be "just like Mom/Dad" so use that!

[Anonymous]

I bought my masks from Harris teeter. Fits nicely on my 4 year olds face. Also etsy and my co worker made masks for him as well