Reply to Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?

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Reply to "Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Most but not all kids will cope just fine with masking. Kids are surprisingly adaptable, especially young ones.[/quote]

I think some people on this thread are confusing what kids can do with what kids should be doing.  Yes, my 3 year-old has adapted to wearing a mask every day, but that doesn't mean it's good for his social development to not be able to see the expressions of his classmates every day (or his teachers).  My son would adapt perfectly to eating goldfish and watching TV all day - that doesn't mean it's good for him.  Masks are not normal for small children, and all evidence I've seen says transmission rates between small children are very low.  Why is DC making small children wear masks while adults can eat out at restaurants without masks on?  It doesn't make any sense to me.  And btw, I'm not 'anti-masks' -- I can simultaneously be in favor of masks for adults and against masks for small children.[/quote]

I am generally very pro mask but have come around to this standpoint as well. What did it for me was my kid starting at a new school a couple months ago (she is 3). Of course it is never easy at this age but I don't think I realize how challenging the masks were making it for her socially until we had a virtual "date" with one of her teachers to discuss her progress. It's not just that my kid lit up to be able to see her teacher's entire face and her facial expressions. It's that I could see the teacher lighting up too, getting to see my kid in a more relaxed setting. She kept noting how much more she was talking and how expressive she was, and how hard it is at school with the kids because it's just harder to get to know them when you are so limited in your interactions. By the time we got off the call, we were all close to tears.

I suddenly realize how frustrating it must be for all involved in these settings where kids have limited communications skills and are still just learning how to interact with other people. And I can see the teachers getting more frustrated with the masks as they all get vaccinated and it's no longer a threat to them. Of course we are not yet vaccinated and our children aren't protected so we're going to keep masking for the foreseeable future. But I agree that at some point we have to ask ourselves if the benefits outweigh the costs. And to do that, we have to acknowledge that there ARE costs.[/quote]

Tell it to the health officials- they don’t care about child development. It’s all Covid for them.[/quote]

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