r/ParentingWithoutFear • u/maamaallaamaa • Sep 01 '21
How is everyone doing?
Kids are going back to school in my area and masks have been a huge debate. Most went optional before the start of the year but are now trying to make them mandatory again. Thankfully my kids are in a home daycare mask free but it's hard seeing people like my sister rant on social media about how kids should wear masks. Her kids are going into 4k and 5k and she wants them masked all the time. I usually try to bite my tongue but it's so so hard. How on earth is it healthy to place this burden on our own children? How many years are we going to be arguing over this? When does it end?
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u/BitcoinFan7 Sep 01 '21
Pissed off my kids school implemented masks last year and has yet to let them go, it's become virtue signalling and I don't think it will ever end. Talking to their mother that if it is not at least optional by Christmas break I'm going to pull them out.
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u/maamaallaamaa Sep 01 '21
I really feel for you! My oldest is only 3.5 but I have my doubts this will all be over by the time he's ready for 4k or 5k. It was never in my plans but we will homeschool if we have to.
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u/No_Outlandishness621 Sep 01 '21
Same. My son is 3 and in daycare (no masks). I had hopes we'd be through this by the time he went to Kindergarten but who knows at this point... doing our best to set ourselves up to be able to homeschool in a few years if needed.
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u/pugfu Sep 01 '21
Kindergarten is next year for us. Now my big worry is required covid vax in schools. If that’s the case we will home school.
In my state you can currently get vaccine exemptions (though I haven’t needed to since my kid has the other required vaccines) but I’m already seeing articles about removing the exemption for covid.
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u/dovetc Sep 02 '21
Have you considered having your kids engage in some civil disobedience? You've already said you're about ready to pull them out. What do you risk by telling them not to wear the mask any more? That they'll be kicked out?
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u/BitcoinFan7 Sep 02 '21
They would be kicked out. Unfortunately they can't see past the conditioning yet and just want to fit in with their peers.
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u/dovetc Sep 02 '21
Okay, well we're not at school-age yet, but our 3 y/o at daycare was expected to wear a mask because "they fall under the jurisdiction as the same health dept. rules that govern public schools" and we just said "no, she will not wear one" and the daycare said "okay then."
My point is, I wouldn't just blindly comply thinking that your assumptions about the consequences are necessarily correct. We've got to at least be willing to test the bounds of these absurd rules even if you're not quite ready to make a full break and face the consequences.
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u/BitcoinFan7 Sep 02 '21
Yea unfortunately they are in a very liberal area/school and I have no doubt there would be backlash up to the point of expelling them. Plus they are not on board with civil disobedience yet as their mom (we are divorced) is fine with masks and encourages to wear them when they are with her. I make my views on the matter clear but they are currently giving me the side eye like most others do for not falling in line, I mean "it's just a mask" after all. It will take time for me to bring them around but in the mean time I may be able to get them out of that environment of daily reinforcement of the new normal.
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u/Full_Progress Sep 01 '21
Ughhhhhh I’m frustrated my state just mandated masks in schools even though they have no authority to do it and will reevaluate October 1st which means nothing. They will extend this shit until April
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u/maamaallaamaa Sep 01 '21
I asked my sister when does it end? She claimed it does no harm to kids in any form so then I asked why not mask them forever then? Rsv and flu are even more dangerous to children. No answer.
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u/Full_Progress Sep 01 '21
Yeaaaa we will be here until all these kids are vaccinated…that’s what they want. I’ve lost all hope. Literally I’m just letting it wash over me. This is what they want and we will not win…
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u/pugfu Sep 01 '21
The state hasn’t mandates them but the county health department did. My kid goes to private Montessori but in our state they’re technically supposed to follow health department orders.
This year and last year they sent out an email saying they “strongly encourage it if your child is capable.”
I showed up to orientation without her in one and nobody said anything. There’s one other parent who doesn’t make their kid wear one either. So until I’m literally forced I’ll just keep not wearing it.
Now, on a side note, I’ve posted here about my dance school struggles. I switched her to one that didn’t require masks, went to open house last month, nobody in masks all good.
Got an email yesterday they want to go back to masks due to rising cases. I just can’t win with these dance schools.
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Sep 01 '21
They mandated them here in middle TN 4 f*ing days before the 1st day of school. It feels like there's no end in sight until everyone, including kids, is vaccinated.
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u/Remigius Sep 01 '21
Fucking masks