For anyone existing in this corona-coaster of a world we find ourselves in, getting used to wearing a face mask seems inevitable, especially with them becoming mandatory in shops etc from July 24th. But the question remains how can I encourage my children to wear a face mask?
For those of you with older children, conversations can be had and the reason can be quite clear. But for some of you with younger children, you may find yourself questioning whether you should be forcing your children to wear one, and if you are planning on, how exactly you can encourage them to do so.
First of all, I should say that I am totally for mask wearing if it’s being recommended to help limit the spread of coronavirus. I appreciate I’m not overly well-educated on the matter but even if I am not protecting myself from catching the virus I could potentially be limiting the spread if I am asymptomatic. In the UK, face coverings or masks will be mandatory in all shops and on public transport as of the 24th July so its obviously something we all have to get used to. But given that we are soon to be moving to the USA and it is a requirement in the state we are moving to, I really will need to get the children on board too. So how have I managed to encourage them to wear a face mask so far and how can I encourage my children to wear a face mask in the future?
Talking about masks is so important no matter what age your children are. I have had the luxury of time to talk to the girls as I’ve known for some while that we were going to be travelling. I had dropped the idea of face masks into conversation a few times. Talk to your children, no matter how young or old, about why people are wearing face masks. Try and explain the reason behind them in an age-appropriate way. I’ve certainly been surprised at just how receptive both my 2 and 5 year old have been.
Secondly, make the face masks fun! You can get them in all sorts of patterns so why not opt for something that they are more likely to enjoy wearing? I went for a bright yellow floral pattern for the girls. I also made sure they matched so there would be no arguments! I bought mine from Tickle Tots as I was able to get over-the-head and adjustable masks for the children. We were also super lucky to have a very talented friend make us some too.
Lastly, with fun in mind, I found using the face masks in our role play games key in encouraging the kids to get on board with them. We frequently played doctors or dentists before coronavirus was even a word and so it has slotted into our play extremely easily. But now we have masks to make the games even more realistic. We’ve also worn our face masks when we’ve played hairdressers, or shops so it has become a more relatable experience for them. I’ve certainly found that’s been an integral part of how I can encourage my children to wear a face mask.
Whilst these are all tips I’ve found useful in getting the children to wear a face mask, it hasn’t been without its challenges. We recently flew to Dubrovnik and the children didn’t wear face masks for the entirety of the journey. You can read about our experience here. Given they are only 5 and 2, they don’t technically have to at the moment but these tips have certainly helped encourage them to and hopefully, this will make our lives all a bit easier in the weeks and months to come!
