Q&A: How can parents and teachers support kids as mask mandates end?

With the Saskatchewan government lifting its masking mandate on Monday, CBC checked in with Dr. Madhav Sarda, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Saskatoon, for advice on how families and educators can navigate the change.

The following transcript has been edited for clarity and length.

What kinds of feelings might children be having around the lifting of the mask mandate?

I think that kids' responses to it will be very much impacted by their parents. To be honest, kids in general have had fewer issues with masks compared to adults. 

As a child psychiatrist, I find that I have far more questions and concerns from adults than I do from kids who just sort of go along with things. 

What kind of conversations should parents be having with their children, both before and after the mask mandate is dropped?

Before, parents have to make a decision — especially for the young kids — about whether they're going to have them continue to mask, and to let kids know that, as of Monday, it's not a rule anymore. 

They have to let their kids know that there might be different kids who do or don't wear masks. 

Parents should explain the reasoning behind making their decision about it and what they're trying going forward, then see what their kids' input is. Some kids may say, "Actually, I prefer to keep a mask on," and some may not. I think that's the type of conversation you'd want to have. 

After it's lifted, I think the biggest thing is just to check in with them — see how their day was. 

Ask them, "What was it like? How many other kids in your class were doing it?" Just so you have an idea of the situation in their classroom, what they're experiencing and what they'd like to do from that perspective. 

What's your advice to parents and teachers if there's a child who's anxious about masks no longer being mandatory? 

Just like anything else, explain to them that the rules have changed and people have different opinions on whether that's reasonable or not. 

Also, tell them that whatever parents decide for next week doesn't have to be the case forever, either.