"My Mask Is On!"

Do you have a child who resists putting a mask on? Pulls it off when you’re not looking? Gets upset by seeing others in masks? These are all natural reactions, and we certainly can’t blame our kids for struggling with something that feels so very unnatural.

We are not mask experts by any means, but we have come up with a song that is intended to help children get more comfortable with wearing a mask, seeing others in masks, and keeping their own mask on.

We encourage you to watch this video with your child. If you are just now introducing the idea of mask-wearing to your child, or if you’ve already had some not-so-great experiences with mask-wearing, here are a few ideas that might make your life easier:

• Learn the song and sing it regularly! Sing the whole thing, or sing whichever verse applies to your given situation.
• Practice putting a mask on and taking it off while at home (with clean hands, of course!). 
• Pretend to go on an outing, practicing keeping your mask on the whole time (maybe you go “grocery shopping” in your kitchen or “play at the playground” in your backyard) and offer lots of praise and encouragement when your little one succeeds!
• To keep your kiddo from touching their face, try giving them something else to do with their hands (a fidget toy or activity), and keep their hair pulled or brushed back away from their face. And of course, wash hands often and use hand sanitizer generously (This struggle is very real -- My daughter touched her face a lot in this video! If we were out and about, I would have had hand sanitizer on hand for sure!)

Of course, CDC Guidelines advise not to put a mask on children under age 2. These young children might still enjoy our song, to get more comfortable with the idea of masks (on others).

Here’s another helpful page: Cloth Face Coverings For Children During Covid-19 by healthychildren.org.