VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The beginning of March marks the first time in a long time that students in Virginia don't have to wear masks in school.
School divisions had to make masks optional by then and many in Hampton Roads already made the switch in their policies. The change could be jarring for some students, especially if they’re among those who still are wearing them.
For Becca Dorval’s family, face masks still are required.
“We joke all the time because my 9-year-old will wear hers, like, everywhere because she forgets to take it off,” Dorval said. “It’s not really that big of a shift for us.”
She has two kids in Chesapeake City Public Schools and said her middle schooler sees more covered faces than her elementary schooler.
“She is one of just a handful of kids in her class still wearing hers now,” Dorval said.
It’s up to parents to do what feels right for their family. Melanie Cornelisse’s 4-year-old son can’t get vaccinated yet, but she said he doesn’t mind the mask.
“You find, especially with the little ones, they just forget they have it on,” Cornelisse said. “They are focused on play and being with other kids.”
Adjustments are a part of life. Whether families are choosing to stay masked up or take them off, Virginia Beach Psychiatric Center CEO Kurt Hooks acknowledges children take on changes differently.
“Kids are really tuned into kind of what is going on with their peers, as a barometer of whether they are normal,” Hooks said. “And it is really challenging.”
His biggest piece of advice is to have a daily debrief with kids after school and keep communication lines open.
“Monitoring for changes, but again with the understanding and expectation that there is going to be some stress,” Hooks said.
Hooks encourages parents to maintain structure at home.
“What we can control at the home in terms of routines, interactions with family members, all the things we want to try to retain a sense of normalcy and control for the child,” Hooks said.
Dorval let her girls know it’s alright for people to make different choices.
“Just to talk to your kids and let them know that it is ok for people to make a different choice and while we might wish people would do something different, we don’t have any control over that,” Dorval said. “So, we need to just do what we are doing and not be rude or mean to anybody else about what their choice might be in the end.”