F**k viruses

@javadic My kid is 4 now and understood by 2 (the age masks became mandatory for his age group at his daycare) to cover his cough and that masks help keep us safe from sicky icky germs. You really don’t have to get overly technical with them.
 
@pauljohn89 I mean, that's great that it worked out for yours, but not every kid is like that in the same way that not every kid can easily be potty trained and how some kids are just picky eaters, no matter what.
 
@javadic I'm not saying every kid will understand perfectly, or even well, or the first few (or many) times. I'm just saying it's worth giving kids the credit and agency to understand things by offering information in age appropriate ways. Kids are often way more perceptive and in many ways capable than we give them credit for. And even for adults, it can take a long time to learn things. Kids should be given every opportunity to know why something is important, and to know information relevant to their lives.
 
@adamsharrisoniii I'm not disagreeing with this comment.

But it is making a separate point from the prior one. That we should treat the intelligence of toddlers with respect is separate from realizing the limits of their cognitive ability at that age.
 
@javadic Oh stop. A simple explanation and reinforcement until it's understood works for MOST children and adults. You don't toss your hands up and say 'ah well' because a few need extra work.

Telling a child why they need to wear a mask, cover their mouths, and wash their hands is not nearly as intensive as potty training or getting them to eat brussel sprouts over a lollipop.
 
@pauljohn89 Toddlers don't understand why they need to wash their hands and it can be a challenge to get them to do it consistently unless you hover every time. Obviously, not every toddler is the same, but the concept of hygiene is pretty advanced. They might know that they've been told to wash their hands, like after they potty, but they have no internalization of why.

Most adults seem to be able to grasp the why of it. But, even there, the pandemic showed that a lot don't get it at all.
 
@jessyblue Please mask your child. My newphew, also autistic was able to mask even with an oral senory issue. However, it was a long task trying a ton of masks to find the right one. Maybe look for a mask bloc organization in your city to see if you can try some of the child sized N95s for free? One thing that you should know is that neurodiverse individuals are considered to have higherrisk factors for long covid. So at the very least, have all the family members and staff around your child mask. My sister was able to get accomodations in her IEP for school and her child's aid masks at the school along with air purifiers in all rooms the child is in and vaccinated staff. She did have to get a doctors letter for it though.
 
@downtherabbithole The kids literally just take them off. Really wish the masks could work for them, but they just don’t work for everyone. Also, autism is a spectrum and varies from person to person. What works for one, does not necessarily work for another. IEP accommodations also vary from state to state. It took me two years to get my oldest son basic IEP accommodations. It depends on each child’s circumstance and the school. It also depends on how much you want to fight the school and how much cash you have to spend on an attorney, where I live at least.
 
@jessyblue Oh it sucks. IEPs are a nightmare. I've had to go through them with my own child too. It is a traumatizing process to even go through. I'm so sorry your family has can't have masking as an option. I wonder if then you can focus on other mitigations like clean air? I was able to fundraise for my child's classroom to get one extra air purifier in a classroom. I wonder if advocating for clean air can at least help reduce the infection burden for you all (even if you don't lead the fight maybe other parent's in your child's classrooms might wnt to?). I'm adding a couple of resources below for you or anyone that might be interested.

Letter for school administrators

https://pmc19.com/data/pmc\_school\_letter\_Dec31\_2023.pdf

How to advocate for clean air at schools and daycares http://lieslmcconchie.com/clean\_air\_advocates?fbclid=IwAR2ZZsugEodAih9P0EjPm95-VP9b74aiuyTqAgZyTpdMe3C7JXWbRZmbtzE
 
@mynameishephzibah Covid damages the immune system, leaving you vulnerable to other infections, and covid often sticks around for a while. Check out the /r/covidlonghaulers sub for some of the worst of it. Its messed up how the gov. is just letting it rip and leaving people in these situations where they don't know why they're constantly feeling like shit. The kids rely on the adults to do the best they can to protect them and so few are trying to get air purification, or masking to prevent spread. It's really sad.
 
@mynameishephzibah Husband and I caught stomach bug after thanksgiving.

RSV for baby 12/7

Covid for me 12/19 (thankfully husband and baby didn’t catch it)

12/27 - baby breaks out in mysterious spots. Thankfully they went away after 48 hours and ped said didn’t seem contagious but whew I would’ve lost my mind if it was contagious

My baby just turned 1 and isn’t even in daycare!

Offering solidarity. Hope you do feel better soon!!!!
 
@chithirairaj Thank you for your kind wishes! I’m glad it resolved for you; that makes me feel a little more hopeful right now. Did you find anything that helped a little (or anything that seemed to make it worse)?
 
@paulelliott Currently have the norovirus after just recovering from a two week cold. Baby is also cluster feeding. I feel incredibly sorry for myself. This is just miserable
 
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