2yo masking airplane

amother

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 8:36 am

I'm so torn over what to do. My in laws have been coming to spend sukkos with us for the past 10 years. This is the only time the whole year they come to visit us.
This summer they will be moving to a new home that is larger than their current home. Until now they couldn't really host kids and grandkids because their house was tiny. I guess I was wrong to assume they'd still come spend yom tov with us, but it is not so.
My mother in law just told me she's already invited a few kids and they won't be coming to us. She wants us to come too.
For various reasons I have no interest but I'd force myself to do it anyway for my husband and kids sake. But I am petrified to take my 2yo on a plane. She will be 2 weeks past her 2nd birthday
We have not been wearing masks since March (not required in our state), so it's not something she used to seeing. I can't imagine her wearing a mask for even 5 minutes, let alone 2 hours.
Has anyone flown recently with a kid this age? How in the world did you do it???
(I don't want anyone to feel like I'm making this "my excuse" for not going. I really want to try and make this work)

singleagain

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 8:42 am

Check with the airlines. And then start practicing if needed. Tell DC how exciting it'll be to visit bubby and zadie but you have to go on a plane and these are the rules and you know it's hard so let's practice following the rules.

amother

Amber

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 8:51 am

Give the wrong birth date when booking. It's like not like her birthday makes her magically more susceptible to germs. I would 100% lie than engage in child abuse, as masking children is.

amother

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 8:53 am

Driving is not an option with DHs work schedule

I can't imagine the mandate ending, not the way things are going. I can't make plans assuming that

My DD has no clue who her grandparents are. We have seen them once since she was born, the idea of this trip will not excite her Sad

I know, I'm sounding so cynical about the whole thing Crying

singleagain

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 9:00 am

I can't believe some ppl are advocating lying! And your forgetting a 2 hour flight is like ten hours of driving! That's at least a day maybe two extra you have to take off vacation to do that driving, on each side of the trip!

Will the trip in it if itself not excited DD? You said there will be other family there... Will that excite her? Can you entice her with a special toy or activity?

Also, I think of you are frustrated, your DD roll pick up on that and it'll be harder to practice and stuff...

Is there another reason you don't want to go? Or is it solely the mask thing...

If there's other reasons that might be worth exploring.

amother

Denim

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 9:05 am

Sadly I don’t have any magical cures for you , just want to tell you that I feel for you. Our family has to go somewhere that is a 2.5 hr flight with a 2 year old. Knowing her, there is no way she will wear a mask the whole time. We do not want to be the next frum family all over the internet and news. Our family is driving 14 + hours to avoid the whole situation. It’s not easy. I feel for you. Wishing you siyata dishmaya on your decision and good health for us all!

amother

Amber

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 9:13 am

singleagain wrote:

Really? You can't imagine lying?
Two weeks ago she can't catch/spread covid but now two weeks after her birthday she can?
Make it make sense.

amother

Mustard

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 9:15 am

I feel for you! The 2 year old cut off is ridiculous. I haven't gone on a plane since my baby turned 2 because I dont want to deal with it. There is no way to know in advance what type of flight crew you will get. These stories are happening on every single airline and I dont want to take any chances.

If you absolutely must go I would practice with her at home. Give her a mask and let her watch a movie. See if it distracts her enough.

trixx

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 9:16 am

singleagain wrote:

Have you ever flown with a 2 yr old? Have you ever had one? They're still a baby at 2+2 weeks. A second birthday doesn't suddenly make them big.

Elfrida

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 9:18 am

amother [ Amber ] wrote:

Really? You can't imagine lying?
Two weeks ago she can't catch/spread covid but now two weeks after her birthday she can?
Make it make sense.

The point is not the infection risk, but the fact that lying is wrong. Period.

לא תשקר. We read it last week.

There was no exception clause for when you think it doesn't make sense.

trixx

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 9:19 am

I can't believe all the mothers here conditioned to believe that "practice with a mask" makes sense in a sane world. Ie teach your baby to get used to not having oxygen. It is CHILD ABUSE. A year ago you would have been arrested for that. Now you're arrested if you don't mask up. Never forget we live in olam hasheker.

wifeandmore

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 9:19 am

I would do what it takes to drive personally (and I have, for the last 18 montha) I have a flight to take soon which isnt possible to drive.

That being said, I heard these days airlines are caring less. As long as everyone else is masked up, they look he other way for toddlers. Have her drink a bottle at take off. I would never lie but I wouldn't force her to wear mask unless they said to. I'd just have her eat /drink all flight.

And yes, practice. Have her choose the design from Amazon. I just did that with my two year old. We take selfies while practicing (I wear mine too) and every day we do it a little (not five minutes on day one as someone wrote, more like 5 seconds to 10 seconda lol)

simcha2

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 9:20 am

amother [ Amber ] wrote:

Really? You can't imagine lying?
Two weeks ago she can't catch/spread covid but now two weeks after her birthday she can?
Make it make sense.

Because your justifications are irrelevant to both halacha and law of the land.

It is wrong to lie. It is illegal to lie to federal agencies.

Being yashar isn't something for when it is convenient.

amother

Amber

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 9:20 am

Elfrida wrote:

The point is not the infection risk, but the fact that lying is wrong. Period.

לא תשקר. We read it last week.

There was no exception clause for when you think it doesn't make sense.

I'll sin how it suits me, if you don't mind. Especially when it doesn't make sense. And at the expense of a baby. This is not the time to get holy and be law abiding when it's asinine.

amother

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 9:24 am

No, I'm absolutely not lying. Aside for I wouldn't do such a thing, the chinuch ramifications of what that's teaching my older kids is not worth the trip. I'd sooner not go

She's not even 2 now. You can't excite a child that age about things that are going to happen in the future. She doesn't know her cousins or her grandparents - she's still a baby!!! talking about it beforehand isn't going to change her behavior in the moment

We all already had Covid, I am not worried for one second about spreading anything. It is complete child abuse to mask up a 2 year old. That the country has put up with this for so long is frightening. (My other kids ages 5+ will have zero issues wearing a mask, it's just the baby I'm worried about)

Tovahs

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 9:26 am

I have flown with a 3 year old, yes she's older, but it was an 8 hour flight. Try to distract her as much as possible, at least until after takeoff. And if you'll see that she keeps on removing the mask have her suck on a lollipop or something. In my experience the airline was quite understanding. They gave me a reminder at the beginning of the flight, and didn't make a big deal later on. I've been on 2 long distance trips and back, and it wasn't such a big deal.

singleagain

Sun, Jul 25 2021, 9:37 am

Elfrida and simcha2, thank you for explaining why I couldn't fathom lying.

And no I haven't flown with a kid, if any of those posters know me they'll know I have no children bc of my divorce. Yes a lot of what I say regarding kids is theoretical or based off what I've seen from my friends with kids. Doesn't mean it's not valid.

The chinuch of it though .... I remember stories of someone who paid full price to outings bc their kid was now past the age of getting in free and the ticket tacker was like "why did you say that I wouldn't have known" and the person was like "but my kid knows"