Face shields for kids?

[kate1482]

My dd will wear a mask for maybe 20 mins. It works in a pinch for the 2-3 times I’ve had to have her with me at a store. Are face shields ok to wear without a mask? I think I could get her to wear one but no way would she wear both.

[jinkies]

Weird, I actually started to post something similar but never finished.

My son is 12, but he has panic attacks if he has to wear a mask for longer than 15-20 minutes. That is usually enough time for us to finish up whatever errand, but it won't work when school starts.

I was thinking of getting one for each kid now, in case there is a rush on them when schools start announcing final plans. Zazzle has them for $10, so I'd only be out $20 even if we never use them.

I think it could be a good alternative, and feel less constricting than a mask. Having said that, my son will start middle school in the fall, and we all remember what middle school is like. If no one else wears a face shield, there is no way he would, even if it is 100% more comfortable and less contricting for him.

[iknowthismuchistrue]

Our state (Illinois) can not seem to give a definitive answer on if the kids can use shields instead of masks at school. At first governor said generically face coverings. Then clarified shields were ok. The state BOE said must be masks. Then in writing stated they have decided shields are fine. Then days later said absolutely not. Only masks. It’s exhausting. Right now they are saying masks at all times inside even when they can be fully socially distanced.

[patches31709]

Jun 30, 2020 9:38:34 GMT -5 jinkies said:

Weird, I actually started to post something similar but never finished.

My son is 12, but he has panic attacks if he has to wear a mask for longer than 15-20 minutes. That is usually enough time for us to finish up whatever errand, but it won't work when school starts.

I was thinking of getting one for each kid now, in case there is a rush on them when schools start announcing final plans. Zazzle has them for $10, so I'd only be out $20 even if we never use them.

I think it could be a good alternative, and feel less constricting than a mask. Having said that, my son will start middle school in the fall, and we all remember what middle school is like. If no one else wears a face shield, there is no way he would, even if it is 100% more comfortable and less contricting for him.

Thank you! I have no idea what school will look like here in the fall, but after wearing a mask for 3 hours to get my hair done, I cannot see my kindergartner wearing one the whole school day. Hopefully these will be allowed. 

[UMaineTeach]

I can’t remember the source, but I think it was ME CDC director said face shield was as good as a cloth face covering.

Our district is allowing shields in place of a mask for any staff working in the building this summer.

[CloudBee]

It's state dependent. Some are allowing them in place of masks, and other are allowing them only for those who need accommodations due to disability, etc.

Someone in a local special needs FB group put a shield on her son and he was denied entry to camp.

[redpenmama]

NYT had an article about this the other day:
www.nytimes.com/article/face-shield-mask-california-coronavirus.html

My son would do much better in a shield than a mask at school in the fall, but we haven't been given any real guidance, other than face coverings will be necessary when social distancing isn't possible. Interested to see if our district (or any) allow shields.

[sent]

I’m no government leader, just someone who wore a face shield for work long before PPE became a household acronym. I think they would be great and less distracting for kids when in school, but our officials are obsessed with the narrative being about masks.

I am going to attempt to hack an adult face shield for my 2 year old to wear at daycare. In the meantime, I send him in the loosest fitting mask we have. They send pictures of the kids wearing them inside and DS knows now to allow me to put it on when he enters daycare and to remove it himself when he leaves at pickup.

[longtimenopost]

I'm going to try this for doctor appointments next week because my kid can't wear a mask for more than a couple of minutes (unless she is looking at a tablet and then she forgets!). I got these on etsy and they came fast and look to be good quality: www.etsy.com/listing/795274537/kids-protective-face-shields-made-in-usa

[magpie]

I wonder about this, even for adults too. Are face shields as effective as masks? I thought about possibly wearing one when if/when we go back to work/school in the fall and I will undoubtedly need to have a face covering all day.

[ktw]

Jul 1, 2020 8:06:38 GMT -5 magpie said:

I wonder about this, even for adults too. Are face shields as effective as masks? I thought about possibly wearing one when if/when we go back to work/school in the fall and I will undoubtedly need to have a face covering all day.

I wonder about the effectiveness, too, because I sometimes see pictures of people wearing both a shield and a mask. I think teachers should definitely consider wearing them, if allowed. Especially those who teach younger kids, because it’s so important for them to be able to see your face while teaching.

[bugandbibs]

Face shields are not as effective as a quilters cloth stitched mask. They have a lot of open space which will allow droplets in and out. That said, they are helpful especially in circumstances where someone can’t/won’t wear a mask. All people 6 and older must wear a face covering in my state. If you are only wearing a face shield than maintaining social distancing is especially important to reduce the risk that droplets will reach you.

Our district will be providing face shields for kinder, 1st and anyone else who isn’t able to wear a mask. Staff in certain classroom will be given both because it is thought that transmission through eye membranes is possible (although not as risky as mouth/nose).

[mslhb]

I manage a manufacturing plant and we made the decision to allow face shields as a substitute for masks. I think technically the CDC recommends both but I certainly am not an expert. Some areas of my plant get hot so I wanted to allow both options. Our requirement is a “face covering” which fully covers the nose, mouth and chin. Instead of issuing out a specific type we allowed people to choose their own. I think that really helped people get on board and voluntarily wear them properly. We started wearing them full time early in COVID19. I myself have tried a bunch and it took a few before I found a fabric and style that is comfortable. It is very different wearing one for a bit in a store vs 8-12 hours moving around in a work or school environment. I would definitely buy some now so you can figure out what works best.

[kate1482]

Thanks everyone! My dd wore a face shield at her developmental testing yesterday. Her psychologist was ok with it and dd kept it on the whole time without complaint. Today we have a OT re-evaluation and they require masks and will not allow just face shields. It’s only 1.5 hours long so I’m hoping Dd will rally.

Interesting it is state dependent. We are in the Seattle area and masks are now required for 5 and over. I’m hoping face shields will be allowed in schools. My dd will be in kindergarten and has a hard time understanding non verbal cues already- it’s going to be even more challenging with everyone in masks.

[kate1482]

Jun 30, 2020 17:03:11 GMT -5 longtimenopost said:

I'm going to try this for doctor appointments next week because my kid can't wear a mask for more than a couple of minutes (unless she is looking at a tablet and then she forgets!). I got these on etsy and they came fast and look to be good quality: www.etsy.com/listing/795274537/kids-protective-face-shields-made-in-usa

Thank you! Just bought two and they have already shipped.

[bugandbibs]

Jul 2, 2020 9:31:03 GMT -5 kate1482 said:

Thanks everyone! My dd wore a face shield at her developmental testing yesterday. Her psychologist was ok with it and dd kept it on the whole time without complaint. Today we have a OT re-evaluation and they require masks and will not allow just face shields. It’s only 1.5 hours long so I’m hoping Dd will rally.

Interesting it is state dependent. We are in the Seattle area and masks are now required for 5 and over. I’m hoping face shields will be allowed in schools. My dd will be in kindergarten and has a hard time understanding non verbal cues already- it’s going to be even more challenging with everyone in masks.

Face shields are allowed for schools in WA. I’m a school nurse and we are utilizing them in our back to school plan. Your specific school district may have other plans, but if wearing a mask doesn’t work for your child wearing a shield should be an allowable alternative.

[af1212]

At a meeting I was at last night about this very topic they showed the air flow with a mask vs a shield. The shield let way way more air and droplets out than the mask.

They are telling our teachers to wear a cloth mask (to protect others) as well as a face shield to protect their eye area.

For kids they are saying just a mask is fine. But just a shield is not unless there are extraordinary circumstances (medical need, etc ).

[Dznyprnces]

My son (8 in September) asked to wear a face shield. We briefly thought about it, and then decided no. He has recently developed this habit of licking his hands (perfect timing!) and we thought he would constantly have his hands up under his mask touching his face, rendering it basically useless.

[freshsqueezed]

Our school is not allowing face shields. They have a committee of doctors making decisions based on science and said they still allow too much.

They are looking into a design that comes down and around fully.

[kate1482]

Ok our district is allowing face shields as a alternative to masks in the classroom. (But they acknowledge that cloth masks are superior). Only cloth masks are allowed on buses.