Please no masks for PK in '21-'22 school year

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

It seems the CDC mask guidance and DC Health contemplate keeping toddlers in masks until they're eligible for a vax. It's so depressing.

Masking toddlers is contrary to World Health Organization guidance, which says that children under 6 shouldn't be masked for a whole host of developmental reasons. Countless studies around the world have established that young children a) aren't spreaders and b) don't get sick. The seasonal flu is far more deadly for them than Covid.

Last week MoCo removed its requirement to mask kids 5 and under, even though CDC didn't, so I hoped DC would follow MoCo. I understand that Councilors met with DC Health folks for a Q&A on Friday (4/30) and DC Health said they wouldn't budge unless the CDC did.

Sadly I still see toddlers masked in playgrounds, so maybe I'm an outlier, but I'm wondering what the general view here is. Please consider writing to the Mayor and your Councilor to protest masking toddlers.

Finally, I'd like to hear any insights from parents who currently have kids in PK3 / PK4 required to wear masks. How do the PK teachers feel about it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi all,

It seems the CDC mask guidance and DC Health contemplate keeping toddlers in masks until they're eligible for a vax. It's so depressing.

Masking toddlers is contrary to World Health Organization guidance, which says that children under 6 shouldn't be masked for a whole host of developmental reasons. Countless studies around the world have established that young children a) aren't spreaders and b) don't get sick. The seasonal flu is far more deadly for them than Covid.

Last week MoCo removed its requirement to mask kids 5 and under, even though CDC didn't, so I hoped DC would follow MoCo. I understand that Councilors met with DC Health folks for a Q&A on Friday (4/30) and DC Health said they wouldn't budge unless the CDC did.

Sadly I still see toddlers masked in playgrounds, so maybe I'm an outlier, but I'm wondering what the general view here is. Please consider writing to the Mayor and your Councilor to protest masking toddlers.

Finally, I'd like to hear any insights from parents who currently have kids in PK3 / PK4 required to wear masks. How do the PK teachers feel about it?

It is "sad" and "depressing"? I agree that the entire pandemic is horrible, but if the medical experts suggest that unvaccinated children wear masks while at school, then we should probably do that. My read on the medical evidence is different than yours, and I trust the CDC to make the right call. Or at least even if I were to disagree with the call, I would still follow it. Having kids wear masks in school seems like such a small thing to do to reduce risk.

[Anonymous]

Don’t listen to the PP. it definitely is sad and depressing. My two year old still wears a diaper and a sleep sack for nap. She cries at the sight of the mask and I don’t blame her. A two year old doesn’t understand “my mask protects you your mask protects me” garbage. She doesn’t know who dr. Fauci is and doesn’t care about my neighbor’s “thank you Dr. Fauci” sign. The WHO is right on this.

[Anonymous]

PreK does not = toddlers

When you say "Sadly I still see toddlers masked in playgrounds, so maybe I'm an outlier, but I'm wondering what the general view here is. Please consider writing to the Mayor and your Councilor to protest masking toddlers."

Toddlers are under age 2. They were never required to be masked - and if parents wanted them to be masked - that is their choice.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for raising this OP. We’re going to have to go step by step to get back to normal and I agree that masking PK should not be required.

[Anonymous]

Moco revised masks for under 5?

[Anonymous]

My (very rebellious) 3 yr old has worn a mask to his outdoor school all year. Once we found the one that fit him best (old navy) he hasn’t had a single issue with wearing it. If he gets sweaty or “drooly” they swap it for a disposable. We have 20 kids at our school currently and mask compliance has been a non-issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi all,

It seems the CDC mask guidance and DC Health contemplate keeping toddlers in masks until they're eligible for a vax. It's so depressing.

Masking toddlers is contrary to World Health Organization guidance, which says that children under 6 shouldn't be masked for a whole host of developmental reasons. Countless studies around the world have established that young children a) aren't spreaders and b) don't get sick. The seasonal flu is far more deadly for them than Covid.

Last week MoCo removed its requirement to mask kids 5 and under, even though CDC didn't, so I hoped DC would follow MoCo. I understand that Councilors met with DC Health folks for a Q&A on Friday (4/30) and DC Health said they wouldn't budge unless the CDC did.

Sadly I still see toddlers masked in playgrounds, so maybe I'm an outlier, but I'm wondering what the general view here is. Please consider writing to the Mayor and your Councilor to protest masking toddlers.

Finally, I'd like to hear any insights from parents who currently have kids in PK3 / PK4 required to wear masks. How do the PK teachers feel about it?

It is "sad" and "depressing"? I agree that the entire pandemic is horrible, but if the medical experts suggest that unvaccinated children wear masks while at school, then we should probably do that. My read on the medical evidence is different than yours, and I trust the CDC to make the right call. Or at least even if I were to disagree with the call, I would still follow it. Having kids wear masks in school seems like such a small thing to do to reduce risk.

I don’t think there’s any reason to follow the CDC exactly. DC has plenty of resources and available expertise to consider all public health policy positions, with CDC as one of many. CDC has been taking positions that are inconsistent with school reopening (like 6ft distance) and then rolled them back. This is all evolving. The CDC is not the law.

[Anonymous]

Toddlers learn empathy by reading facial expressions, so putting them in masks is not harmless.

It's not just my reading of the science, Google "world health organization kids masks" for yourself. The WHO guidance came out in August 2020, and for the life of me I don't know why the CDC hasn't even discussed it.

So it is harmful, and it's also accomplishing *nothing*! Toddlers don't spread the disease, and they don't get sick. They also aren't good at wearing masks?!

From what I can tell, DC and California are the only jurisdictions to require kids in masks. Maryland follows the WHO guidance, and while MoCo's mask order mirrored DC's, they've since removed the section for toddlers.

So, in terms of deference to medical authorities, Team "No masks on toddlers" has the WHO and 49 states, and pretty much the rest of the world on its side. The side suggesting masks on toddlers is DC Health and the CDC. And the CDC isn't pointing to any research or anything on toddlers. In the CDC's updated mask guidance, they completely omitted any consideration of toddlers. So, you can see why I find the balance of authority to be against masking toddlers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My (very rebellious) 3 yr old has worn a mask to his outdoor school all year. Once we found the one that fit him best (old navy) he hasn’t had a single issue with wearing it. If he gets sweaty or “drooly” they swap it for a disposable. We have 20 kids at our school currently and mask compliance has been a non-issue.

I agree that masking kids isn’t always as hard as it seems, but if they can be safely unmasked at least outside, we should allow that.

[Anonymous]

My 4yr old gladly wears a mask all day at preschool. It’s weird that adults are pulling this “it’s sad” crap. Kids who have bad attitudes about masks were taught that attitude. Goodness knows my kids are picky eaters, but they never complain about car seats and bike helmets. Masks are the same. Doesn’t matter what I think of the scientific evidence- if wearing masks keeps my kids in school with their friends we’ll do it.

Barring medics or sensory issues, kids whose parents wear masks don’t mind wearing masks correctly. My kid likes picking out the patterns and colors and matches his outfit or matches his brother.

No one is making you put your kid in a group care scenario that requires masks OP. Get a nanny of an in-home daycare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 4yr old gladly wears a mask all day at preschool. It’s weird that adults are pulling this “it’s sad” crap. Kids who have bad attitudes about masks were taught that attitude. Goodness knows my kids are picky eaters, but they never complain about car seats and bike helmets. Masks are the same. Doesn’t matter what I think of the scientific evidence- if wearing masks keeps my kids in school with their friends we’ll do it.

Barring medics or sensory issues, kids whose parents wear masks don’t mind wearing masks correctly. My kid likes picking out the patterns and colors and matches his outfit or matches his brother.

No one is making you put your kid in a group care scenario that requires masks OP. Get a nanny of an in-home daycare.

way to completely miss the point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t listen to the PP. it definitely is sad and depressing. My two year old still wears a diaper and a sleep sack for nap. She cries at the sight of the mask and I don’t blame her. A two year old doesn’t understand “my mask protects you your mask protects me” garbage. She doesn’t know who dr. Fauci is and doesn’t care about my neighbor’s “thank you Dr. Fauci” sign. The WHO is right on this.

There are many 2 year olds that fight diapers and yet, we ask they wear them until they can follow basic public health expectations and use the toilet.

Why is your child, who has been raised with masks far longer than he/she has been raised without masks, crying at the sight of something that should be completely normalized at this point? You think your personal view towards Dr. Fauci isn't responsible?

If what we need to open schools fully is masking, it's the last thing I'm going to worry about. Frankly, I think it keeps little kids fingers out of their mouths and noses which is impossible otherwise and good for a host of reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 4yr old gladly wears a mask all day at preschool. It’s weird that adults are pulling this “it’s sad” crap. Kids who have bad attitudes about masks were taught that attitude. Goodness knows my kids are picky eaters, but they never complain about car seats and bike helmets. Masks are the same. Doesn’t matter what I think of the scientific evidence- if wearing masks keeps my kids in school with their friends we’ll do it.

Barring medics or sensory issues, kids whose parents wear masks don’t mind wearing masks correctly. My kid likes picking out the patterns and colors and matches his outfit or matches his brother.

No one is making you put your kid in a group care scenario that requires masks OP. Get a nanny of an in-home daycare.

But it's not because it's sad. There are developmental reasons, as PP said. Issues with articulation, pronunciation, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 4yr old gladly wears a mask all day at preschool. It’s weird that adults are pulling this “it’s sad” crap. Kids who have bad attitudes about masks were taught that attitude. Goodness knows my kids are picky eaters, but they never complain about car seats and bike helmets. Masks are the same. Doesn’t matter what I think of the scientific evidence- if wearing masks keeps my kids in school with their friends we’ll do it.

Barring medics or sensory issues, kids whose parents wear masks don’t mind wearing masks correctly. My kid likes picking out the patterns and colors and matches his outfit or matches his brother.

No one is making you put your kid in a group care scenario that requires masks OP. Get a nanny of an in-home daycare.

But it's not because it's sad. There are developmental reasons, as PP said. Issues with articulation, pronunciation, etc.

And we also need to drop pandemic theater. If masks can be dispensed with, we should do that.