Children two years and older need to wear face coverings. Please don’t put a mask on your baby. First, they don’t have strong enough respiratory muscles to spray their bodily fluids very far. And second, putting a cloth over a young child’s face is also called smothering. They just don’t physically have the capacity to breathe safely.

Kids under age two can still go out in public if necessary, just keep them in a stroller or carry them so their physical reach is always under your control. That way they can’t touch contaminated objects. We primarily get sick from viruses when they get into our body through our moist surfaces – eyes, inside of the nose and mouth. And aside from having droplets from someone talking (or coughing, singing, sneezing or cheering) close to you, touching our “mucus membranes” with our hands is the most common way to be exposed to a virus. We adults can remind ourselves not to touch our face, but a study of children showed they touch their face up to 50 times every hour! And, as you have likely witnessed, it is impossible to make your child stop touching their face or putting their hands in their mouth. So try your best to prevent them from touching stuff.

How do you get a kid to wear a mask? I’ve been very surprised to see how compliant most patients in my clinic have been. Kids may be more comfortable wearing masks than adults are. It’s like a costume. I’d feel really awkward wearing a cape or princess dress, but the costume-wearing-age kids seem to be perfectly comfortable in what I suspect they see as just a new dress-up option.

Nevertheless, here are some tips to increase your child’s compliance with the mask mandate:

  • let children see themselves in the mirror
  • let them choose or decorate their mask
  • make one together or use a fabric with their favorite characters
  • make a mask for their favorite stuffed animal or toy
  • practice wearing the mask at home before going out
  • limit their time in the mask – let kids take their mask off in the car
  • give them a small toy to occupy their hands instead of fidgeting with their (or your) mask
  • be a role model
  • bribery is fine

Face coverings are going to be part of our daily routine for a long time. In fact, most young kids won’t remember a time when they didn’t see masks in public. Now is a great time to invest in some quality face coverings – and be sure to choose distinct designs so you don’t accidentally wear someone else’s mask!