Mask Tips for Children, Tweens, and Teens

Mask Tips for Children, Tweens, and Teens
This school year will be different for our children, including a new rule that they are required to wear masks to school.  In today's post, I'll share tips for children, tweens, and teens who need to wear a mask.

1. Order masks that fit their face.
I initially thought that masks were a one-size-fits all solution until I put an adult mask on my preschooler and tween. Fortunately, we found that Crayola masks come in different sizes.  They are really cool too -- they have fun patterns, a 3D design, flexible nose clip, and adjustable straps. I was able to configure their masks to comfortably fit their faces.  It was easy to see that Crayola thought about the customer experience from start to end. My children are wiggly and uncomfortable with change, but they are pros with these cozy masks!

2. Buy extra masks because they will drop their masks and/or find ways to make messes.
On our first outing in masks, we went to pick up dinner. My preschooler dropped his mask on the bathroom floor of the restaurant.  My tween couldn't resist eating the food that we ordered, so he was lifting his mask to slide chips and refried beans into his mouth while I took his brother to the bathroom.  They both needed new masks by the time that we got home.   That's something that I appreciate about the Crayola masks that we are featuring here -- they come in 5-packs!  They also come in a nice mesh bag to store and wash them.

3. Get a mesh laundry bag to wash the masks.
You'll want a mesh laundry bag to wash your masks. This will help to minimize the possibility of damage to the straps or adjustment beads. 

4. Wash masks with gentle fragrance-free laundry detergent.
Masks washed with fragrance may bother some people. We buy a gentle fragrance-free detergent and fragrance-free fabric softener to wash our masks.

5. Send extra masks to school and put their names on them.
Your children may need to swap their mask for new clean masks throughout the day. Depending on their age, their teachers may or may not need to help them.  We put name stickers on our children's masks to help minimize mix-ups. This is more important for our preschooler, but our tween has been known to misplace items, so we label his as well.

6. Donate extra masks to your children's schools.
Our local preschools and elementary schools request that parents send donations of new underwear to the nurse's office in case children have accidents.  This year, most schools will appreciate mask donations. Consider donating masks to your child's school or school supply drives.