School doesn't seem to tacke headlice - anything I can do?

[Dillytante]

I'm so fecking fed up with my DD1 getting headlice all the time. I have to spend half an hour a few times a week combing her hair, & usually mine too.

It's clearly the same fecking families not tackling it. Is there anything I do? While I was drifting off to sleep last night I was constructing a plan for a No More Nits campaign, channeled through DD1 to her friends.

Anyone else's school have better ways of dealing with it? Anywhere I could get donations of nit combs to give out?

[PoppyWearer]

No, our school is also pretty bad. It's up to parents to tell each other when they're going around and yes, there clearly are some families who are clueless and don't check.

[BriansBrain]

Apart from making sure you inform the school that you have found and treated them there isn't much the school can do about them.

You can get a nitty gritty comb on prescription in some areas so may be google and check and if you are in the right area get a leaflet to put in book bags?

[mrsyattering]

Our school don't even put a letter out, my dd had then recently and I check her regularly. But apparently there are families who don't check or treat. Bring back the nit nurse I say!

[clam]

"Bring back the nit nurse I say!"
And how would that help? They weren't just moth-balled because of money, but because they made no difference to the incidences of nits.
If there are families out there who don't/won't manage their children's hair, then having a nit nurse (or anyone else, for that matter) tell them they're infested won't change anything.

[Dillytante]

What about an info leaflet on how to manage them?

[wheresthebeach]

We have similar problems. Some children literally infested. Same kids, sad parents don't care enough to deal with it.

[mrz]

www.factsoflice.net/

[Dillytante]

I do keep her hair up but they seem particularly attracted to her. I always caught them as a child too.

[Wellthen]

What exactly would you like the school to do?

[headinhands]

It's a social problem not a school problem. Do you think lice only came into being when schooling became the norm? Expecting the school to take responsibility for nits is like expecting them to spend time sending out material about the common cold. There's no evidence that the letters they send out work. They may be counter productive in that over anxious parents douse their pfb's in Hedrin too often which creates a resistance to the chemicals.

[Dillytante]

They could send out some information leaflet, maybe procure some nit combs. The school has nothing to do with my child's religious education but they still insist on getting the Pentecostal pastor that I loathe into assemblies, and sending out his bloody leaflets in the book bags.

[mrz]

Unfortunately the parents who ignore their child's head lice will ignore the information leaflet

[Feenie]

We send out a nit text

[vjg13]

I have always phoned school when my daughter has caught nits and got them to send out the letter just to remind other parents to check the kids. I do know that some parents will ignore it but at least it reminds the majority.

[CookieB]

My dd caught them twice in 6 months at nursery. Both times I notified them & got hit with the fact that she must be bringing them in because no-one else had complained! She was 4 at the time & only interacted with other kids during nursery time. We (the family) were fine so it can only have been there she caught them. Really annoys me that other parents do not notify the nursery/school like they are embarrassed. It is not something to be ashamed of or to do with cleanliness. Nits will go to any head regardless. Now she is at school we do get warning letters & she gets the bone comb every Sunday .

[CookieB]

Scratches head at the thought!

[wheredidiputit]

Yep, Letters home at least every 2 weeks.

Although the school family workers now have face to face talk with the child and parents showing them exactly how it should be done.

[MrsShrek3]

Dilly - dd had them several times in reception and yr 1 but now we have sorted it (and she can name the 3 nitty kids in her class so it is repeat offenders apparently) conditioner and nitty gritty every friday, but the real gem that a friend who works in school health told me... hairspray her plaits no nits since we started using hairspray