Masks are a hotly debated topic. And I am not trying to ignite the fight or defend my case. But! If you are trying to wear masks and struggling with getting the kids on board, this is for you!
First, a disclaimer or two… I am NOT an expert and I am NOT suggesting this is the only way to approach this. Also, you should know that my biggest kid is hugely averse to germs so he is very agreeable to masks. We’ve had trouble in years past convincing him to STOP washing his hands because they were raw and bleeding. So if your kids think it’s stupid and they hate the masks, remember that all kids are different!
So here goes!
The kids are having a hard time understanding the Coronavirus and corresponding restrictions (aren’t we all??). I tried to explain in a more approachable way. Here’s what we said…
Imagine you are painting with your hands and no gloves. The paint doesn’t bother you and isn’t a problem for your body. But then you go in for dinner and hive five your sister and help set the table. Guess what? Paint is EVERYWHERE. And the paint doesn’t bother your sister or your mom. But it makes your dad’s skin itch and hurt and really bothers his body.
Now, what if you wore gloves instead? Then, when you finished painting, all the paint would go in the trash. No paint on your family and friends. It wasn’t a problem for you. Or your sister. But it WAS a problem for your dad. And you love your dad. Wearing gloves makes it harder to paint and your hands get sweaty. But it’s a small thing to help your dad be safe.
Ok, ok. This is a silly example but it made a BIG impact on my 7 year old. Both kids were struggling to understand how dangerous the virus was and feeling a lot of fear. There was a visible relief on their faces when I explained that most kids don’t get that sick and most people don’t die when they get the Coronavirus.
But here’s where the important part comes in… WHY do we wear the masks?? We wear them because we love the people in our lives. Because we don’t know how the sickness will affect different people. Because we want to honor the people around us by protecting them from our germs. We might not be bothered by the virus (like the paint) but it could be a really big problem for someone we love, so we wear the mask to honor the people in our lives.
It’s not perfect. Masks are sweaty and they often don’t fit well—especially on little faces. But it’s a small way to show we care and that’s something important to me and to our family.
