Help Teachers And Get Your Kids Used To Mask Wearing Now

School officially begins on August 19th for the Twin Falls School District and with the pandemic still happening, we don't know for sure what that first day of school will look like. What we do know is that it will require that students and teachers wear masks. The mask wearing has been one of my main concerns since the school district began asking parents for input on how to proceed with the upcoming school year. I want my kids to be at school. It seems to help their attitudes, they get to see their friends, and they get in-person help from their teachers. But with the pandemic all those positives of back-to-school are a catch-22. Wearing a mask will help a lot - but it also seems like a nightmare trying to get a school's worth of kids to comply. I'm an adult and I don't know how I would do wearing a mask all day. There is something we can do right now though, as parents, to prepare our kids for a day of mask wearing and it will also be a huge help for teachers.

I saw on Facebook a great idea for getting kids to wear masks: when it is time for screen usage, have them wear a mask. If they don't wear the mask they don't get screen-time. I personally know this would wok in my house because screen-time is our currency. It's the one thing that all the kids value. Sure, they'll fight it a bit but if you stick to it and they really want that TV time, they will wear a mask.

Then, come the first day of school they'll already be used to wearing a mask and it should make it easier and less stressful for everyone. What do you think, is that a good idea or do you do something else to encourage them to wear a mask?