The difference between the beginning of the 2019 school year to the upcoming 2020 school year is starkly different.
We’ve all learned words and phrases that had never entered our language before and now they are part of our everyday vocabulary. Words like social distancing, flattening the curve, and of course, the ‘new normal’.
For many of us, the hardest to digest is the ‘new normal’, because with adaptation to that phrase comes a lot of change. Change for adults and children alike.
A large part of our children’s new routine is wearing a mask, especially with the possibility of returning to school in the coming weeks.
This poses the million-dollar question: how do I help my child get used to wearing a mask?
Below are some methods that may help. No two children are alike in terms of comfort level with a mask, or even how well they will be able to tolerate wearing a mask, but this is a great place to start.
Practice, practice, practice.
The first piece of advice is to start slowly. It isn’t realistic to expect a child (or adult for that matter) to jump from not having worn a mask for any length of time before to wearing one for an entire 8-hour school day.
Even if at this point you and your family are still laying low and not spending much time in public, you can practice at home. If you are venturing out, a short trip to Target to shop for school supplies is a great first try at wearing a mask. If you aren’t leaving the house much, then how about starting with having your child wear a mask while watching a favorite tv show
Provide fun choices.
Half of the battle is going to be getting your children excited about the mask. Does your child have a favorite sports team? A quick search online will likely reveal a ton of choices in team masks.
Allowing your child to be part of the process in choosing their mask will likely be a huge help in getting over the hurdle of getting them to wear one.
Chances are it is going to take some trial and error to find a mask that your child likes the style, fit and thickness of. Being flexible and allowing some changes to the masks that are chosen will set you up for the best chances of mask success.