Mask for 3 Year Old - How Strict is Disney and How did get your kiddo to wear a mask?

They will be kind about it but also very strict. The Disney masks are very comfortable and maybe it can be a “special” mask to wear on vacation. (I got them for the trip but wear mine all the time now.) I also highly recommend a lanyard. I had a post on lanyards a while back, search my posts and you should be able to find it. A couple people shared some good recommendations for where to buy lanyards.

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Yes, I forgot to mention the mask lanyards! They help a lot. If you want a disposable mask we found that the Dr. Brandt ones for ages 2-5 worked great. They’re lightweight and fit small faces well.

Maybe start practicing from now? In PreK at all the nearby schools they have to wear it. At my niece’s school, the teacher explained that in school they have to wear it except at snack time. A lot of them had the lanyards to keep them from falling on the floor. It started off slow, with lots of reminders, but now they wear it without problems.

Also, maybe you can make a social story that you read everyday. A social story is a story you make to get students who are having trouble with things to do them. For example, a student who has trouble riding the bus would have one about that. At three, the book should be really simple, with repetition and pictures.

When We Go To Disney, We Wear Our Mask

  1. When we ride an airplane, we wear our mask. (Picture of an airplane and mask)
  2. When we go to Magic Kingdom, we wear our mask (castle and mask)
  3. Animal Kingdom, Hollywood, Epcot, etc

When we are eating/sleeping/in the car etc, we can take down our mask

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I’ve seen a good suggestion to try to use a positive attitude about mask-wearing, instead of negative, because the children will be influenced by the adults. For instance, try not to say, “Now, I know you’re not going to like this…” when it’s time to put on a mask. I agree with trying to make it a more neutral, “These are the rules/what we do.”

I like all the suggestions others have given.

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Definitely also be POSITIVE about it. If you approach the kiddo with “I know you won’t like this…” then eventually if not immediately they will pick up on your feelings and fuss.

The advice here is good. Pick masks the kiddo likes, practice, present it as a “big kid privilege” or even “now you’re a super hero!!”

I teach Special Education (kiddos with autism) and they are all doing AMAZING with their masks and don’t even need breaks beyond breakfast and lunch!

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