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Children's health

Nits question and how do you explain to a 5 yr old?

14 replies

Lucky13 · 29/09/2013 07:39

A while ago dd got Nits and we treated and cleared them. For the first week I combed with nitty gritty every day and second week every other and found nothing. Last week I did every 3 days and found nothing not even an egg.
Yesterday I find 2 adults and a couple of eggs. Is this me missing some or coming from someone else do you think?
How do you tell a 5 yr old that they have Nits without making her feel bad? I also suspect where it's coming from and want her to stop letting her touch heads, but don't want dd to say anything and make the other poor girl feel bad.

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Oddsocksrus · 29/09/2013 07:56

We had a really funny note that came from school when the first batch were spotted last year.
When it arrived we read it out to our dd and then explained what it meant. We are not a squeamish family so it was all matter of fact and now the precautionary comb through is part of our routine and to see if we can catch some.
I guess you have to braid her hair after the treatment and do you know the other child's parents well enough to mention it? Perhaps mention it to their teacher instead?

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HDEE · 29/09/2013 08:04

Why would having nits make her feel bad?

Stop projecting your own feelings into your child and just tell her she has them and you have to eat rid of them.

I've had a million children (slight exaggeration) and having 'the nitters' as we call them, doesn't phase them one bit.

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Whatdoido5 · 29/09/2013 08:08

I don't understand why she'd feel bad.

In this house they are called creepers. They're part of having a primary aged child.

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Whatdoido5 · 29/09/2013 08:10

I don't mean that having them permanently is part of having a primary aged child. Just that you're very lucky indeed if you get through primary school without at least one infestation.

You do know you have to treat you, your partner and any other members of the family don't you?

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Lucky13 · 29/09/2013 08:26

My dd has a short bob so nothing to tie up.

I really want to know if she is likely to have caught them again? I am fastidious with the combing so can't believe that after 2 weeks clear I missed them.

And yes I think if dd said to another little girl 'mummy said I'm not allowed to touch heads as she thinks you may have nits' that might upset her. Children never say anything in the tactful way you tell them and this child is 7 so would feel hurt.

We never get any communication from school about nits and dd has never had them before. I told teacher that dd had them but no letter was sent out.

I have told her that she mustn't touch heads with anyone but not exactly why.

This other child's mother is never at school so we don't see her to talk to unfortunately.

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Lucky13 · 29/09/2013 08:28

Everyone at home treated and clear as are dds closest friends.

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hollyisalovelyname · 29/09/2013 08:30

Children don't realise their hair is touching another childs hair when they are doing things together. Blissfully unaware.

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Johnny5needsinput · 29/09/2013 08:38

You can't tell a 7year old not to touch heads. It's impossible!

She probably has been reinfected. Or you might have missed one. It's academic really. You need to get rid of them.

How do you know it is one specific child your dd is getting them from? And I have to be honest and say I'm slightly bristling at the "don't see the mother" comment. It sounds to me a bit like you are judging her for not being in the playground. And why would it be down to the mother specifically and not the father?

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ninja · 29/09/2013 08:41

When my daughter had head lice I told all the mums that I knew and asked them to pass it round so that everyone could check. Some school send notes, some don't. It's nothing I be ashamed of our hide from, so why not mention it to other mums. If they don't know they can't do anything.

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meditrina · 29/09/2013 08:43

You only 'suspect' where it's coming from.

So don't say anything. Because your suspicions may be wrong. Your DD could have got them from anywhere.

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FrightRider · 29/09/2013 08:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Catmint · 29/09/2013 08:53

We call them wrigglers.

We just stay very matter of fact about them. They like to live in hair, and they wriggle between heads when the hair touches. They are sneaky and difficult to get rid of.

We do regular checks, use anti headlice shampoo and leave in spray.

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AwkwardAnnie · 29/09/2013 09:23

DD was 4 the first time she got them (and kindly shared them with me) From my experience I'd say you're unlikely to have missed any using the nitty gritty comb that often. If it's an adult one and eggs it will have crawled from someone else's head.

I explained to DD that they're like insects and we have to get rid of them as they bite and will make her itch. I also told her that she'd have got them because they'd have crawled from someone else's hair onto hers. I don't single any kids out, even though I'm pretty sure who the usual culprits are. (The ones who never have hair hair tied up.)

We use Vosene 3in1 nit deterrent shampoo when there's an outbreak at school, normal stuff most of the time as it's not quite good enough at detangling DD's locks. We have tea tree leave-in detangling spray which we use all the time. Vosene do some but we found a cheaper version. DD has had nits 3 times, and each time was when we'd run out of the tea tree spray. Her hair is also tied up in 2 plaited pigtails every day for school and thankfully almost all the other girls in her class have their hair done the same way.

Our school do send out letters, but I've also told the teachers whenever she's had them, and made it very clear to them that if they suspect she has them to Please Please tell me. I told her friends parents too so they can check their girls more than normal too.

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Lucky13 · 29/09/2013 09:29

Ok I think I need to clear a few things up and not just the nits!

I have told school and all the mums that I see to speak to about the nits.

Johnny5needsinput - the little girl doesn't have a father at home regularly and she only goes on a school bus, so the mother is never at school - no need to bristle just a fact and no issues with it.

I along with another mum help at school and we see this poor girl who is always scratching - I don't mean a little - I mean constantly - poor thing. So yes it might not be her, but she is definitely suffering from something making her itch, which seems terribly unfair on her if it is nits.

I have told the teacher about the nit problem, but what else can I do?

My DD is quite sensitive and we have just called them itchy spots. I have seen kids in other classes being quite cruel to each other about them and all I was doing was trying not to let that situation arise.

Oh and I also use the vosene repellent spray too.