Despite all these protests from children in countries where face coverings are new to them, masks are a must. That means that now is the time to finally get kids on board. We know kids around the world who already know how to wear face masks. It’s simply part of their routine when they leave the house. How do you get your child there? We’ve asked doctors, psychologists and parents for their best strategies for getting little ones to wear face masks and keep them on. Here are some suggestions:
Know your child
Every child is different, which means it behooves parents to take the time to think about how each of their children may relate to face masks. Parents should ask themselves a series of questions before even trying to formulate a strategy to get kids to wear face masks. Among them: What is important to my child? How does my child understand information? How aware of the outside world is my child? To what extent might a mask or the possibility of a mask give my child anxiety? Part of the issue is age. Toddlers may be frightened to see others in masks because they lack the ability to recognize and read faces that kids develop by adolescence.
Explanation
Parents and guardians can’t simply expect little ones to understand why they should wear face masks. moms and dads must explain it with words and concepts the kids can understand. For preschool-age children, this might mean offering a Sesame Street version of pandemic etiquette. The virus is a bad guy. And we must do what we can to protect our lungs and bodies from it. For older kids, it might mean a more detailed and sophisticated rundown of public health. And our individual responsibility to a greater good. Parents can emphasize kindness to get kids to understand that wearing face masks isn’t only about them, recommended Liza Suarez, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Engage and involve your children
Another way to get kids excited about face masks is to make them part of the process. This can be as simple as letting kids select their own masks or as complicated as inviting kids to sit down at the sewing machine.
Practice more and more
Once parents have sold kids on the idea of wearing face masks, it’s critical for parents to get them to embrace it. At the very minimum, this means getting children to wear the masks the right way. Parents can try having kids wear their masks in the house to feel more comfortable, Suarez, the psychiatrist, said. Another fun activity is to have kids don masks and look at themselves in the mirror to get familiar with the mask. Or they can put face mask for their doll.
Communicate repeatedly
Especially with younger kids, repetition is a key to ensuring compliance with new rules. This means that as much as you don’t want to nag, you may have to sound like a broken record in order for your children to take face masks seriously and understand the gravity of the situation in the midst of a global pandemic.
Parents must remind children of this rule: They simply cannot move around in the world right now without wearing face mask to protect themselves and others.
