A: We get it, many of us have young children and are actively working on mask use with them as well! We previously posted some useful ideas for encouraging kids to wear masks and a video for kids by the fabulous Nerdy Girl, Dr. Aparna Kumar, explaining how and why they should wear them and we will continue to post additional articles, ideas and tips as we come across good info!
In the past week we came across two new helpful articles linked below and highlight here some common themes discussed:
Practice wearing masks across a variety of scenarios
-Use simple kid-friendly explanations of why masks are necessary and how to put them on and take them off (see Dr. Aparna Kumar’s video for a great example)
-Help young kids put cloth masks on their favorite stuffed animals and discuss proper fit (covering nose and mouth)
-Have kids wear a cloth mask at home for short increments of time and then gradually build up duration before wearing outside the house for a specific time period or activity
-Try out masks while doing a variety of activities (jumping, dancing, singing)
-Role play wearing a cloth mask in different scenarios and talk through expectations for mask use in different settings (park, doctor’s office, school).
Find ways to make mask wearing fun
-Have your child decorate, pick out their own fabric designs and/or even sew their own cloth masks to make them more personalized (see this fun video by Dr. Sanjay Gupta where he shows Elmo how to make a mask!)
-Let your child pick out a cloth mask to give to a friend
-Make up a game with prizes related to mask wearing
-Have cloth masks available during pretend play
-Encourage your child to tell/write a story or make a drawing in which they or their favorite book, TV or movie characters are wearing a cloth mask
-Take silly pictures of you and your kids wearing masks and send to friends and family
Allow time for kids to adjust to this new reality (and you too!)
-Understand that kids may experience a range of emotions around mask use which may vary across age and over time
-Take time to listen to your child’s concerns, fears and worries and to answer your child’s questions about mask use
-Show your children pictures of other friends and family members who are also wearing masks
-Debrief with your child after wearing masks outside the house (how did it go? what was challenging? what was easy?)
-Figure out strategies that make integrating mask use into your every day life less stressful such as storing a stash of masks by the front and back door to make them readily available anytime you leave the house
For additional tips and insights check out the links below:
