Would you allow your child to go to indoor dance classes where masks are optional for kids?

[Anonymous]

Our two daughters are about to start Irish dance lessons again, and while they used Zoom in spring and summer, they are going back to in person later this month. The teachers and parents will all be required to wear masks the whole time indoors, and students will be encouraged to, but we were told masks will not be enforced for the kids back in July. Our state now has a mask mandate, so I assume this supercedes the school's policy. Thoughts on relative risks of this activity?

[Anonymous]

Yes. State mandate > Irish dance school policy. But to answer your question, I would not allow my child to participate in any indoor activity where masks are not required. That's just dumb.

[Anonymous]

Nope. Indoor activity without required masks? No way.

[Anonymous]

No, unless school confirms kids must wear masks and they've reduced class sizes to allow for distancing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our two daughters are about to start Irish dance lessons again, and while they used Zoom in spring and summer, they are going back to in person later this month. The teachers and parents will all be required to wear masks the whole time indoors, and students will be encouraged to, but we were told masks will not be enforced for the kids back in July. Our state now has a mask mandate, so I assume this supercedes the school's policy. Thoughts on relative risks of this activity?

Whoa. Where are you? No our classes (Irish dance) have temp checks outside and strict mask requirement inside. Kids have an individual place to put their items distanced from everyone else so they can get water without a mask. I can go into more about how class is run but also no parents are allowed in the building at all now just masked teachers.

We haven't done a feis since last winter. Not even sure we will this fall.

[Anonymous]

My DD is going back to indoor dance classes, but masks are required, as is social distancing (marks on floor to space out dancers). I would not have done with masks optional -- why not masks required? It does not seem like they are taking it seriously.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I personally wouldn't do it unless masks are required so it was a no for our family until the state mandate. My question is now that state has mandated it, I still wonder if this is smart to do based on the director's poor judgment in not enforcing masks for kids in fall classes before the Governor did. I love this dance school, but in a time of pandemic, I worry about trusting my kids health to someone running an activity without making solid choices. I don't want to be overcautious either if the risk is low, but still trying to figure that out since they will be exerting themselves.

[Anonymous]

No.

Indoor group activities ONLY if the child is a pre-professional and preparing their career in that activity. We know quite a few teens who are in pre-professional ballet programs and wear their mask and get on with it, so as not to lose ground during that critical period before they vie for corps de ballet positions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our two daughters are about to start Irish dance lessons again, and while they used Zoom in spring and summer, they are going back to in person later this month. The teachers and parents will all be required to wear masks the whole time indoors, and students will be encouraged to, but we were told masks will not be enforced for the kids back in July. Our state now has a mask mandate, so I assume this supercedes the school's policy. Thoughts on relative risks of this activity?

Whoa. Where are you? No our classes (Irish dance) have temp checks outside and strict mask requirement inside. Kids have an individual place to put their items distanced from everyone else so they can get water without a mask. I can go into more about how class is run but also no parents are allowed in the building at all now just masked teachers.

We haven't done a feis since last winter. Not even sure we will this fall.

That is what I was hoping for, but alas this was not the policy that was conveyed. We are in Minneapolis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I personally wouldn't do it unless masks are required so it was a no for our family until the state mandate. My question is now that state has mandated it, I still wonder if this is smart to do based on the director's poor judgment in not enforcing masks for kids in fall classes before the Governor did. I love this dance school, but in a time of pandemic, I worry about trusting my kids health to someone running an activity without making solid choices. I don't want to be overcautious either if the risk is low, but still trying to figure that out since they will be exerting themselves.

I think you ask the director straight out whether the school will be requiring all adults AND kids to wear masks. If s/he says no, or fudges, tell them that you're kids won't be enrolling. Period.

[Anonymous]

No, even with masks

[Anonymous]

No, and I would tell the director why I’m making that decision. It’s possible that if enough parents speak up, they will reconsider the mask optional policy. I would be fine with masks optional outdoors with distancing though.

[Anonymous]

HELL no

And I also wouldn't allow it with masks

[Anonymous]

Only an idiot would do that.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I told her we were pulling out of the St. Patrick's Day performance two weeks before it was cancelled and she was shocked. I was nervous just at the rehearsal in early March - crowed auditorium full of people. She didn't see the pandemic hitting like it did.

We've expressed our concern in the past, and it's not really making an impact. Many of the families are Catholic and their kids are in person at school, so it's not a big deal to them. I did see that parents won't be allowed inside unless dropping off little ones, so that's good. Our class is 15 kids and while it's in a dance studio with tall ceilings, I worry that is still too many kids and this could be a bigger risk than I am comfortable with. Strongly leaning towards doing an online option, though my kids' friends are all going. Le sigh...