How to Teach Kids to Wear Face Masks All Day at School
How Can Kids Possibly Wear a Mask All Day? This Montessori Teacher Explains
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With the start of school still several weeks away, many parents aren't yet sure if their children will end up setting foot in a classroom or not, but Solomon urges them to get prepared now for full-day masks if in-person learning is a possibility for their family.
If they only wear masks outside, start having them practice indoors, too.
"See if you can get them to wear it while they watch one episode of their favourite show," she said. "See if you can get them to wear it while they play for more than 30 minutes. Then gradually build up."
"The work we put in now to create this important habit will pay off down the road, and sadly, it looks like it's going to be a long road."
She also suggests stocking up – particularly for kids like mine who chew or lick their masks, and just knowing that some days, masks will fall into the sink or get dirty or lost. Sending them to school with at least one spare mask to change into should be standard.
Above all, she stresses trying to make it fun but consistent.
"Establishing a routine can be exhausting as a parent or a teacher," she said. "Sometimes it is just easier to not have the fight and either do it for them or skip it because who has the energy? But the work we put in now to create this important habit will pay off down the road, and sadly, it looks like it's going to be a long road."