Six-year-old Ian Flaherty played outside with his brother, Nigel, 4, Thursday afternoon just like any kid does in summer when schools out.

The brothers tossed a ball to each other and rode their bikes around the block as their mom, Elisia, watched. Due to the nation in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ian and Nigel took the extra precaution of wearing a face mask as they played.

Ian, why do we wear a face mask? Elisia asked her son.

Because of the coronavirus, he responds.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Elisia said she talked with Ian and Nigel about the coronavirus, how it is a virus that makes people sick and the need for them to wear a face mask.

She added her husband, Andrew, is the director of rehab at Emerald Nursing and Rehab Lakeview and wears personal protective equipment with two masks an N95 and a surgical mask goggles and a shield, and her sons were able to see photos and video of him.

At the beginning of the pandemic, seeing him in all of that in a picture helped them realize how important it is, Elisia said.

So if he could wear all of that stuff, we talked about how us wearing a simple cloth mask was easy; we could do that.

With GIPS requiring students to wear face masks in the classroom, Elisia said her sons will be ready. Ian will be in first grade at Wasmer this upcoming school year, while Nigel will be in all-day preschool at Howard.

We practiced wearing a face mask at home. At first, I just bribed them with a piece of candy or would have them wear it when they watched cartoons, Elisia said. I just set a timer for them to know how long we are going to do it. Then, if we go anywhere, they wear a mask, too. We are trying to prepare them for being in their classrooms a lot more and not in the hallways and help them be ready for that.

Teresa Anderson, health director for the Central District Health Department, said parents should wear a face mask and model it for their children so they wear one, too.

There are ways to just model it for your children saying, Look, I am wearing a mask, it is good and keeps you safe, she said. Some kids know that when they are wearing masks, they are protecting themselves and others from germs. Most kids, when they are three years old, know what germs are. So we can start working with three-year-olds saying, This is going to keep you safe, keep mommy and daddy safe and others safe, too.

Anderson encouraged parents to follow the Flahertys example by practicing wearing masks with their kids and offering positive reinforcement.

I dont think kids will want to wear masks very long, but as time goes on, we can start conditioning them to be more comfortable with the masks by maybe starting out with a couple minutes, she said. Then, the next time, going a few more minutes and going a little bit longer the time after that, so that it will become somewhat second nature by the time they are ready to start school.

Elisia said wearing a face mask can be a struggle for her sons, especially Nigel, who wears glasses. She said the masks ear straps can cause him problems with his glasses and also fogs up his glasses, making it harder for him to wear a mask.

Sometimes, with Nigel, it will slip off his nose and he will not want it on his nose; that is the bigger struggle, Elisia said. My feeling is that imperfect efforts are better than no efforts. Maybe we are not going to wear the mask perfectly, maybe they are going to be touching them and maybe they are going to fall off. Yes, that is all going to happen. But we have to try to do as much as we can.

Anderson agreed with Elisias actions and said having kids wear a face mask for a period of time is still better than not having them wear one at all.

When we are talking about exposure to COVID, we are talking about reducing exposure, Anderson said. So any time a child has their face covered with a mask, it is going to reduce the risk. We are not going for perfect here, we are going for how we can reduce exposure.

For parents trying to get their young children to wear masks in public and at school in the fall, Elisia said the first step is to set an example for them.

If you, as an adult, have a lot of anger or reservations about having to wear a mask, ask yourself why that is and deal with that, she said. Then, just pump it up to your kids that it can be fun and different. Just make it seem like this is what everybody is doing.

Anderson said it is absolutely essential that adults feel that wearing a mask is a good thing. She echoed Elisias thought that kids attitudes about face mask will reflect their parents, whether it is positive or negative.

Parents just need to normalize it and just ease into it, Anderson said. It can be somewhat stress free, or it can be very stressful. It just depends on how the adult approaches it. Making a mask in a fun character like a superhero or school colors really makes them more attractive to children and more apt to wear it.

Flaherty said since Ian and Nigel wear face masks, she hopes they can be an example for their peers when they start in-person classes in August.

For the boys, when I told them everybody their teachers and classmates are going to be wearing masks, it is easier for them when they see others doing it. The positive peer pressure helps, she said.

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Mask task: Grand Island mom helps sons adjust to wearing face coverings - Grand Island Independent