Anonymous
Post 03/18/2021 19:39     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Most but not all kids will cope just fine with masking. Kids are surprisingly adaptable, especially young ones.


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.



I agree with this person. Also there is a big difference between 2+ and 5+.
Anonymous
Post 03/18/2021 19:37     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The issue isn't the adults, but the kids and kids can pass covid to each other and their unvaccinated families and other adults and kids in the community. I would hope so.


Then when does it end? We may never reach "herd immunity".


Once kids can get vaccinated.


If nobody is dying or getting hospitalized from Covid a lot of restrictions will be lifted.



They should be lifted. Will they be as fast as they should? That keeps me up at night honestly.
Anonymous
Post 03/18/2021 19:35     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
Anonymous wrote:I work at a preschool that has been open since August. We required the 3s and up to wear masks when we reopened and the 2s program required masks starting in January. We are planning to have all children 2 and up with required masks next year - knowing it may take a while for the new 2s and any other new students to get he hang of it.

They all wear masks everyday now and are almost all doing just fine. Others need a few small reminders is all.

We are planning to keep all the Covid measures in place next year with the exception of travel which we expect may get looser following the CDC changes.



Yuck. I hope you change your mind. You are hurting the kids. Talking about next fall not this year. This year fine. But in the fall?! We are about to be drowning in vaccine. Not a single person who took JJ or any of the other two authorized vaccines in the trial was hospitalized. If they got sick at all they got the sniffles. What is the end game?!
Anonymous
Post 03/18/2021 19:32     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
God I hope they won’t be required for 2 year olds anymore. It’s so sad. Those kids are still babies in diapers. Europe never had kids that young wear a mask. Even my 4 year old struggles but she does it. She actually chews through the inner layer and ingests it. Her speech is impacted. This isn’t healthy long term. By fall with adults vaccinated nobody should be dying or hospitalized. We don’t require toddlers to mask for flu or bronchitis or pneumonia or whatever. Please end this madness once the vaccines are in peoples arms.
Anonymous
Post 03/18/2021 19:13     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
I work at a preschool that has been open since August. We required the 3s and up to wear masks when we reopened and the 2s program required masks starting in January. We are planning to have all children 2 and up with required masks next year - knowing it may take a while for the new 2s and any other new students to get he hang of it.

They all wear masks everyday now and are almost all doing just fine. Others need a few small reminders is all.

We are planning to keep all the Covid measures in place next year with the exception of travel which we expect may get looser following the CDC changes.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2021 14:15     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
Anonymous wrote:Most but not all kids will cope just fine with masking. Kids are surprisingly adaptable, especially young ones.


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.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2021 09:16     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I hope so. The mask-wearing has meant none of those pesky childhood viruses/ strep infections etc have come through the home this year!


This isn’t a normal way to live though. It’s actually ok to be exposed to some germs because it helps build immunity. Not to mention they have started seeing noticeable effects on how a mask doesn’t allow children to see facial expressions and mouth movements, a key part of learning speech in the early years. To say “I hope so” is really stupid IMO. The masks need to come off sooner rather than later. This is not normal.


That's not going to happen. Sorry. Feel free to move to a dumbass state like Florida or Texas if this is what you want.

Your kid's "ability to see facial expressions and mouth movements" is far, far less important to anyone but you than other people's health and safey in a pandemic. Shrug. Feel free to work all you want to "facial expressions and mouth movements" during your unmasked time at home.


It’s been more than a year. Adults are now getting vaccinated and hospitalizations are way down. I am not an anti-masker. I actually work in public health and there has plenty of research that suggests Covid spread between preschool aged children is very rare. If the teachers and most adults are getting vaccinated, where is the risk and when do the masks come off? At what point do we say “ok it’s safe enough for the kids to not wear this anymore”. There is always going to be a small risk but there’s a small risk of catching anything.


I agree- all along the message is that we need to protect vulnerable adults and essential workers. Now that these folks are getting vaccinated, I think we really need to reconsider the need for young kids to wear masks. The masks don't often fit well anyway and they're taking them on and off all day, so I'm just not seeing how the realized benefits outweigh the downsides. What is the new end goal? For no kid to get Covid? What if the vaccine is never approved for pediatric use?

Honestly I left my 2yo at an in-home daycare this year rather than moving them to a center because the former does not require the kids to wear masks but the latter does. No cases at the in-home despite no kids wearing masks (the staff do).
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2021 07:18     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I hope so. The mask-wearing has meant none of those pesky childhood viruses/ strep infections etc have come through the home this year!


This isn’t a normal way to live though. It’s actually ok to be exposed to some germs because it helps build immunity. Not to mention they have started seeing noticeable effects on how a mask doesn’t allow children to see facial expressions and mouth movements, a key part of learning speech in the early years. To say “I hope so” is really stupid IMO. The masks need to come off sooner rather than later. This is not normal.


That's not going to happen. Sorry. Feel free to move to a dumbass state like Florida or Texas if this is what you want.

Your kid's "ability to see facial expressions and mouth movements" is far, far less important to anyone but you than other people's health and safey in a pandemic. Shrug. Feel free to work all you want to "facial expressions and mouth movements" during your unmasked time at home.


What isn't going to happen? Surely you don't expect the mask mandates to be with us forever, do you? At some point, the vast majority ofmhigh-risk individuals will be vaccinated, and community spread will be low. It's true kids won't be vaccinated, but COVID poses a similar risk as the flu to them. Plus, as the other pp noted, kids below 10 are much less likely to contract/transmit COVID.

When do you think it is reasonable to drop the mask requirements?
Anonymous
Post 03/15/2021 21:57     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I hope so. The mask-wearing has meant none of those pesky childhood viruses/ strep infections etc have come through the home this year!


This isn’t a normal way to live though. It’s actually ok to be exposed to some germs because it helps build immunity. Not to mention they have started seeing noticeable effects on how a mask doesn’t allow children to see facial expressions and mouth movements, a key part of learning speech in the early years. To say “I hope so” is really stupid IMO. The masks need to come off sooner rather than later. This is not normal.


That's not going to happen. Sorry. Feel free to move to a dumbass state like Florida or Texas if this is what you want.

Your kid's "ability to see facial expressions and mouth movements" is far, far less important to anyone but you than other people's health and safey in a pandemic. Shrug. Feel free to work all you want to "facial expressions and mouth movements" during your unmasked time at home.


It’s been more than a year. Adults are now getting vaccinated and hospitalizations are way down. I am not an anti-masker. I actually work in public health and there has plenty of research that suggests Covid spread between preschool aged children is very rare. If the teachers and most adults are getting vaccinated, where is the risk and when do the masks come off? At what point do we say “ok it’s safe enough for the kids to not wear this anymore”. There is always going to be a small risk but there’s a small risk of catching anything.
Anonymous
Post 03/15/2021 21:31     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I hope so. The mask-wearing has meant none of those pesky childhood viruses/ strep infections etc have come through the home this year!


This isn’t a normal way to live though. It’s actually ok to be exposed to some germs because it helps build immunity. Not to mention they have started seeing noticeable effects on how a mask doesn’t allow children to see facial expressions and mouth movements, a key part of learning speech in the early years. To say “I hope so” is really stupid IMO. The masks need to come off sooner rather than later. This is not normal.


Sine of us are glad to not have to deal with colds and flu! My kids language is just fine, maybe you need to work more at home instead of blaming masks.


My kids language is just fine as well. All I’m trying to say is that MASKS ARE NOT NORMAL. I rather deal with a sniffle here and there than have my kid wear a mask all the time. If you’re so worried about your child getting sick, then keep him/her home.


Nope. it is YOU who will have to keep your kids at home if you refuse to comply with the mask mandate.
Anonymous
Post 03/15/2021 21:29     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I hope so. The mask-wearing has meant none of those pesky childhood viruses/ strep infections etc have come through the home this year!


This isn’t a normal way to live though. It’s actually ok to be exposed to some germs because it helps build immunity. Not to mention they have started seeing noticeable effects on how a mask doesn’t allow children to see facial expressions and mouth movements, a key part of learning speech in the early years. To say “I hope so” is really stupid IMO. The masks need to come off sooner rather than later. This is not normal.


That's not going to happen. Sorry. Feel free to move to a dumbass state like Florida or Texas if this is what you want.

Your kid's "ability to see facial expressions and mouth movements" is far, far less important to anyone but you than other people's health and safey in a pandemic. Shrug. Feel free to work all you want to "facial expressions and mouth movements" during your unmasked time at home.
Anonymous
Post 03/15/2021 21:17     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I hope so. The mask-wearing has meant none of those pesky childhood viruses/ strep infections etc have come through the home this year!


This isn’t a normal way to live though. It’s actually ok to be exposed to some germs because it helps build immunity. Not to mention they have started seeing noticeable effects on how a mask doesn’t allow children to see facial expressions and mouth movements, a key part of learning speech in the early years. To say “I hope so” is really stupid IMO. The masks need to come off sooner rather than later. This is not normal.


Sine of us are glad to not have to deal with colds and flu! My kids language is just fine, maybe you need to work more at home instead of blaming masks.


My kids language is just fine as well. All I’m trying to say is that MASKS ARE NOT NORMAL. I rather deal with a sniffle here and there than have my kid wear a mask all the time. If you’re so worried about your child getting sick, then keep him/her home.
Anonymous
Post 03/15/2021 20:50     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I hope so. The mask-wearing has meant none of those pesky childhood viruses/ strep infections etc have come through the home this year!


This isn’t a normal way to live though. It’s actually ok to be exposed to some germs because it helps build immunity. Not to mention they have started seeing noticeable effects on how a mask doesn’t allow children to see facial expressions and mouth movements, a key part of learning speech in the early years. To say “I hope so” is really stupid IMO. The masks need to come off sooner rather than later. This is not normal.


Sine of us are glad to not have to deal with colds and flu! My kids language is just fine, maybe you need to work more at home instead of blaming masks.
Anonymous
Post 03/15/2021 15:24     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
Anonymous wrote:I hope so. The mask-wearing has meant none of those pesky childhood viruses/ strep infections etc have come through the home this year!


This isn’t a normal way to live though. It’s actually ok to be exposed to some germs because it helps build immunity. Not to mention they have started seeing noticeable effects on how a mask doesn’t allow children to see facial expressions and mouth movements, a key part of learning speech in the early years. To say “I hope so” is really stupid IMO. The masks need to come off sooner rather than later. This is not normal.
Anonymous
Post 03/15/2021 15:23     Subject: Will masks be required for 2-5 year olds in the fall?
Our private school starts at age 3 and put out their plan for fall before people sign binding year long contracts. It includes masks full time, to be re evaluated quarterly.