Masks are becoming a part of our regular lifestyle. Not only are we required to wear it now but also our little ones and pre-schoolers need to wear it once the preschools open.
With the vaccine just at our doorstep, we have begun speculating as to when schools will reopen. I think the pandemic has taught us many things, the significance of schools being one thing that’s on the top of the list. It’s not before four to five months when this happens so let’s get on to preparing our kids for being independently handling themselves with their new weapons of safety, the mask & the sanitizer.
Here are some ways to help your children understand and get used to wearing masks and using sanitizer for a long period of time.
1. PRACTICE MAKES YOU PERFECT
It’s very helpful for young children to practice seeing masks as a normal thing in their lives, so my brother started making his twins wear a mask around the house, my sister-in-law even put them on their toys, like a stuffed animal or a doll.
Give kids time to practice wearing their masks before they might need to wear one outside of their home when you aren’t around. Teach them how to put it on take it off.
Kids don’t like wearing masks at home so start taking them out while running small errands where they see others also in a mask and understand the normalcy of wearing one. Make them the sanitizer in charge at home. Teach them how to spray the sanitizer in order to make the object germ free.
2. ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR RELUCTANCE
We always underestimate our kid’s capacity to understanding a situation. If we are able to give them good reasoning instead of just instructions and explain them using graphics, they surely will get it. Understanding their feelings is very important. It’s ok to tell them, “I know this is not very comfortable & even I don’t like it, but staying protected is very important”, or “This is not forever, it’s just for right now. Very soon, we won’t have to wear these anymore, but to get to that point we all have to do our part and wear a mask.”
3. THE SUPERHERO MODEL
Make it a nice and challenging. Explain them like this – “Just like Spiderman, Batman & many Avengers always wear a mask to save the world even when they are flying or even when it becomes itchy, we always need to wear a mask”. With so many options for kids’ masks, get them a nice and creative looking mask which they would want to wear. My nephews now have seven different masks, each for a specific day and they simply enjoy wearing it.
4. PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH
Parents need to demonstrate good mask behaviour by showing their children that it’s perfectly normal to wear it anytime they leave the house. Only if you wear your mask properly over your nose and mouth, will your kids learn that behaviour from you. How to you expect your kids to wear a mask properly when they regularly see you either not wearing it or wearing it on the chin. Begin to be good and responsible role models.
5. MAKE A NICE SONG OR PHRASE
Kids love a lot of sound effects. We have a small phrase for my nephews to tell them to wear a mask, “For outdoor cheers, let’s wear it ear to ear”. Make your own small jingles so that it’s a fun experience for them to wear a mask. Remember, “A responsible task, always wear a mask!”
Children are way smarter than what we can imagine. Give them the correct reasoning and explain them the concept of wearing a mask, you will soon see that they will even begin to correct the adults around, if they aren’t in a mask!
So, empower your kid with the correct knowledge and significance of when, where and how to wear a MASK. You will be a relaxed parent when your kid goes to school in near future.
-Divya Joshi
