Face masks? !!

I am soooo tired of it. That discussion about face masks ...

Yes it is:

• difficult

• annoying

• limiting

• oppressive

• maybe acne-increasing

• and above all: not proven effective

How is it possible that there is so much hassle about it?

How difficult it can be to show solidarity with people who are afraid, who are vulnerable and who might get sick. Who are afraid of ending up on the ICU or dying.

Can we no longer show compassion and respect for that?

How bad is it really?

Being critical is good and helps us discover what our true values are and what is needed.

But what if something is for "the time being" as it is? That we adapt in favor of our fellow man? And that we later shrug our shoulders if it turns out that it did or did not help?

That we can live with the fact that something is needed with the wisdom of today?

In the hospital and at the dentist, it has been common for practitioners to wear a mouth mask for years. Welders, construction workers, painters, asbestos removal boots and many others are at risk to health if they do their work without mouth and nose protection.

It may also be the case that these children later become avid motorcyclists and ride around on two wheels masked for days.

And again, no, it is uncomfortable when you cannot breathe freely. And long hours with a cap on will certainly not be healthy, especially if it is not hygienically and correctly used.

And what can we teach the children?

What wonderful lessons there are in the theme of mouth masks.

What would it be like if we concentrate a little more on that and see what is there? Instead of fighting a losing battle and stepping out of our circle of influence?

What can a child learn from the face mask situation that is of greater value than the fight?

• Adaptability

• Out of respect and solidarity, park your own opinion or express it in another way

• Persevere

• Teaching eyes to read

• Dealing with uncertainty

• Dealing with authority

• You add to a greater whole

• Put your own interests aside for a while

• Empathize with your teacher who is a caregiver or who has a cancer patient at home

• That you cannot properly interpret signals from the face and may have to ask for additional information

For teenagers there are even two extra beautiful learning moments that are very much in line with their development tasks, namely:

- Teach the teenagers to collect arguments and let them formulate pros and cons from different positions. This is a task that is completely in line with what an adolescent likes to do and must do from the perspective of his development, namely to challenge his prefrontal cortex and put it to work.

- Teach them to react in a creative way if they are against wearing mouth masks: Have them embroider or write the text “I'm only doing it for you” on the mouth mask in cow letters. In this way they are faithful to their beliefs and yet "be heard".