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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I do not understand these comments about kids who choose to mask being "fearful."  My kids, in ES and MS, understand that by continuing to mask indoors we reduce the odds of someone in our family getting covid. They, like we, would rather avoid getting covid so they choose to continue to mask. They don't seem to mind wearing them and their education doesn't seem to have suffered because they are wearing masks.  They don't wear masks outside because they know it doesn't make a difference.  They also wear KN95s, not cloth, because they know that cloth masks are pointless and if you are going to cover your face you may as well use something that is effective.  Their lives are pretty much back-to-normal except for wearing masks indoors.   They know that even with mask wearing there is a chance someone in our house will get covid because we are not locking down completely, but they also  know that the odds are good that no one in our household will be hospitalized or die. 
 Seems like rational decision-making to me.   It does upset them when other kids accuse them of being "scared," or don't understand that just because masks are now optional, it still might be a good idea to wear them.[/quote]

You are right, it could be just a rational choice to reduce your risk of getting Covid. (Although you do have to wonder if they are thinking this through long-term -- [b]the virus isn't going away[/b], we will eventually catch it, which for a kid might actually be a good thing because they will build immunity at a low-risk age against a virus they will have to encounter over and over for the rest of their lives. [b]Are they going to mask indoors forever[/b]?) But there are definitely kids who are scared. Maybe they are in the minority, but they are not rare. We went hiking with friends recently, and one of their young kids didn't want to take off her mask out on the breezy trail, even though nobody else in our group was. That is a sign of unreasonable anxiety, and I felt really bad for the kid.[/quote]

This is my thinking.  If we are going to keep cycling through acute and calmer periods with this virus for some undefined extended period of time, my kids and I...we all need breaks. We can't stay at DEFCON-1 indefinitely. I'm glad that for many of you, masks don't bother your kids.  My kids are super compliant, but really hate them. We didn't take advantage of the pre-Delta lull, thinking that vaccines were coming for elementary-aged kids and *then* we could ease up. And despite our extreme caution and efforts to "do our part to stop the spread", Omicron hit as soon as the kids were vaxxed and they got no reprieve.  We've been so careful and conscientious the last two years, and my little kids missed out on A LOT, so this time around, we're going to take more risks than we normally would during this lull (they gleefully unmasked at school yesterday), recognizing we may have to hunker back down, masks and all, if/when things get bad again.[/quote]

So glad to hear you are giving your kids a break. I have grieved so much for the kids during this time. I left DC to get my kids out of the mask and out of the constant fear and confusion. We've been just fine and while my children were compliant last year, I can see that the masking was traumatizing by the way they react if a business has a mask sign and unwillingness to participate in any activities that require masking. Daily life is relatively "normal", people have gotten and recovered from covid, there is no public shaming on either side. I am grateful we had the option to easily relocate. Kids get one childhood. Let them breathe. [/quote]

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