As children return to preschools, day cares and summer camps, many will be asked to wear face coverings. So parents are wondering: How, exactly, does that work?
Nashville musician Andra Moran says she came up with a relatable way to talk about masks with her 4-year-old daughter, who has embraced the practice. In the audio story above, she shares in her own words what it has been like for families during the pandemic.
“She is a very empathetic, caring kid,” Moran says. “I explained that when you wear a mask … it keeps other people safe.”
Moran, who leads music-driven worship services at Woodmont Christian Church in Green Hills, also draws lessons from her faith.
“It’s a way that we can love another,” she tells her daughter. “She knows that language from Sunday school — to love other people by wearing our masks.”
For Moran, the most difficult decision is whether to return her daughter to preschool this fall. She worries about health, and any further disruptions to her daughter’s development. But, as a single parent, also about her own energy and fatigue, and the quality of her work.
If that’s not enough, she’s torn about the risks and costs of bringing a caregiver into her home.
“It’s just daunting,” she says.
Moran does find the preschool trustworthy. Masks will be required of all kids over age 2, as well as teachers.
But she, like many others, is still trying to envision how instruction will go when facial expressions are lost behind masks. And the feasibility of the precautions. “Even in myself, it’s hard to breathe,” she says of masks. “I can’t imagine wearing it all day, especially as a little kid.”
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