Now that the children can go out, we see that many of them they do not wear masks, while others wear them with pride and are even funny. Some of these children may not be wearing masks because getting children's ones is even more complicated than adult ones, but don't worry, we want to show you how to adapt an adult mask for your child and give you some recommendations on how to use it.
How to adapt an adult mask to a child?
If we have adult surgical masks at home, and we want our children to be safer and more protected on the street, we will have them to adapt. By following these steps you will not have to make special cuts or major modifications.
Before starting to handle the masks, you must wash your hands well and disinfect them. Then place the mask in an upright position with the blue side up. Find the center of the mask and fold the two edges in half in a zeta shape. Secure these folds with a knot, tighten them well with the rubber itself. You can too use double sided tape to glue the edges. Now repeat the same operation with the other side of the mask. Flip the mask over and leave the white side on the inside and the blue side on the outside. Never touch the center of the mask and check that the corners are tightly closed.
With these steps you can adapt the mask to the size of a small boy or girl. But if your son or daughter is older, surely adjusting the elastic bands by making a knot is enough.
Explain to children why they should wear masks
The first thing to explain to a child why they should wear a mask is that we be consistent and if we ask them to use them, use them too. The explanations must be clear, simple and adapted to their age, a 4-year-old is not the same as an 8-year-old. For this you can do it through metaphors or stories. The use of masks It is recommended from 3 years.
Tell him what are they for masks and the importance of wearing them during walks. If he does not want to wear it, try to find out why he does not want to do it and if it is for an aesthetic issue you can decorate it or transform it into a superhero mask. If you already see that your child refuses to use it, children with glasses for example find it more complicated, do not force them. Remember that they are highly recommended, but not mandatory in all spaces. Going out to the streets should be a moment of relaxation and joy, not just another pressure.
If you see that your child takes it off and puts it on, plays with it, or uses it as a mask, it is almost better not to wear it. The Ministry of Health offered some advice for cleaning and disinfection of reusable hygienic masks. The masks must be washed and disinfected with normal detergent and water at a temperature between 60º and 90º. Another option is to soak them in warm water bleach for 30 minutes. Then you have to wash them with soap and water and rinse them very well to remove any remaining bleach.
How to put the mask on the child
Like everything for children, it must be a novelty. Something that be part of the start kit, soap, gloves, alcohol ...
Before putting on the mask, wash your hands well, and when we put it on we will be careful that no hair remains inside. Make sure it is correctly placed, the top on the nose and not on the chin. If you have a nose clip, adjust it. Now fasten the harness behind or the rubber bands to the ears. Confirm that the lower part of the mask covers the chin. And that's it. Ready to hit the streets.
To remove the mask, follow the same steps: wash and disinfect hands before touching and when removing it. In case the mask is wet, from sweat for example, it is recommended to replace it with another, or wash it, if it is reusable following the recommendations that we mentioned before.
