Whether we like it or not, kids have to get used to wearing masks, at school or otherwise. Try this dad’s simple trick to help them get accustomed to it.
Any parent who’s ever tried to make their little kid wear a hat knows that things don’t stay on kids’ heads for very long. So when many provinces announced schools were coming back full-time and that some kids would have to wear masks all day (in Ontario, it’s kids in grades four and up), parents rightfully worried how they’d get their kids used to wearing a mask for long periods of time.
But worry no longer folks, because Iowa dad Leland Michael has cracked the code to getting kids to accept the mask, and he posted it on Facebook for all to benefit from. Are you ready for it?
For the rest of the summer, screen time = mask time.
Most kids will do anything for screen time. So by enforcing a rule that your kid has to wear a mask in order to use the iPad (or whatever other screen they’re hooked on to), you can easily get them used to wearing a face covering for longer periods of time. And if they still won’t wear a mask, then the rule states that they’ll have to find another way to entertain themselves, which means less screen time for the remainder of the summer! It’s a win-win!
Take a look at Michael’s original post:
For parents worried their kids won’t be able to wear masks for long periods of time this Fall, try this rule for your…
Posted by Leland Michael on Friday, July 31, 2020
Of course, eventually, you’ll have to find a way to explain to your kid that oftentimes, they’ll have to wear a mask when they aren’t using screens, be it at school or elsewhere. But with any luck, they’ll be so used to wearing a mask by then that it shouldn’t be an issue. Fingers crossed!
So would you try this trick? It would probably also help your chances if you get them masks that they like to wear—one in their favourite colour, perhaps? As well, you might want to get all their masks in the same colour to avoid the possibility of a tantrum over wanting to wear the green one that’s dirty and not the red one that’s clean. *Sigh*
