Head lice arrrrgghhh

[Newtothisstuff]

This is driving me nuts.
Dd1 is 6 and just started in year 2. I was approached by one of her friends parents to ask if she had had nits this term.. Apparently her dd has caught them 4 times from one particular scruffy girl in their class !!
My dd happens to decide this week that this girl is her bestfriend, came home Monday night with a few crawling in her hair. Que me being mortified and treating her hair twice that night !!
I saw the school office the next day, they know this girl is crawling in them but apparently they arnt allowed to approach the parents about this only just send out a generic text to all the parents !!
I checked my DD's hair every night after bath time and she was clear all week (also told her to try keep away from this girl although she doesn't really understand and I know iabu) Friday comes and she has them again... Twice in 1 week. I took the teacher to one side an she confessed that this girl is absolutely crawling in them and they can all see. But again confirms they can't approach the parents.
This is where I stop rambling ! Shall I approach the mother ? Buy her some nit lotion etc ? Or would that be totally out of order ?
I can't bare for her to catch them again it freaks me out !!
I actually feel sorry for the poor girl too :-( it's child neglect.. She's scruffy as it is !!

[Newtothisstuff]

I'm going to have to. If this little girl has had them for 4-5 weeks like the teacher has said surely her mum must know !!

[expansivegirth]

Why can't the school tell the parents of children that have lice to treat the lice? I don't understand? When I was at school - eons ago - we would be checked termly for lice, and kids with lice were sent home to be treated.

[MrsMiniversCharlady]

One of my friends is a secondary school teacher and they call the parents if they see that a child has lice. Can't understand why primary schools don't do this

Having said that, I'm not really that fussed about them nowadays, having had 4 children who get them on a regular basis. Don't get me wrong, I check them weekly and condition and comb if they catch them, but it doesn't really bother me any more. Just a fact of life.

[Newtothisstuff]

I have absolutely no idea why they can't.. All they said is they arnt allowed to approach the parents they just have to put a letter out advising of an outbreak ! Seems stupid to me !
I'm going to speak to the mum Monday, I've also just found out that you can get lotion from the chemist free of charge so ill be telling the mum that too !!

[dixiechick1975]

Use a leave in detangler conditioner with tea tree in - you can buy it or make your own. I also tightly plait DD's and then spray with hairspray (tip I read in a magazine about them not being able to stick?!) . DD never had nits and yr 2.

My friend used to put a bandana headband on her DD.

[SeveredEdMcDunnough]

I was told recently that it is a child protection issue if a child has headlice which are persistent and untreated.

I don't know if it is worth speaking to a family liaison person at the school and asking their opinion?

We also have one family which doesn't bother to treat headlice and it is therefore a problem for all the other children in their class.

It's awful and I really sympathise.

Tie her hair back, at least, if you don't already, that might help a little bit.

[MrsMiniversCharlady]

I can see why it would be child protection, as it's essentially neglect. A child who has a severe infestation will feel really awful (where the word 'lousy' comes from I expect)

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

You need a nitty gritty comb ATM, and post one through the other girls door.

I really don't know why schools can't inform individual parents. Seems daft to me and unfair on the child.

[RandomMess]

It is where the term "lousy" comes from, I would tell the school if they don't get it dealt with you will be calling social services because it is a sign of neglect!

[SeveredEdMcDunnough]

The school (from what you say) seem to have no issue with speaking to other parents about it, which imo is worse than addressing the actual family involved. That's really odd.

[Newtothisstuff]

Ill have a look at that then. Because yes your right the teachers and school office have all discussed it with me. They know exactly who the "offender" is and have no problems slagging off the family in question as well.. This little girl breaks my heart.. She's filthy absolutely filthy and I heard her tell DD that she had a chocolate biscuits for her breakfast last week. She mum is filthy too. I agree completely about it being a child protection issue.
Hope it gets sorted soon tho, I'm itching just thinking about it, I've got a new baby too.. The last thing I need is her getting them

[RandomMess]

You seem to be saying that this child is neglected (it could be down to parental ignorance it doesn't always occur through malive) please please phone social services that little girl and her Mum both sound as though they need help.

[HumphreyCobbler]

the school is wrong - I have phoned parents about this before now.

[RandomMess]

malive???? malice!!!!

[Newtothisstuff]

She's got brothers and sisters too. I obviously have no right to say whether she is or is not being neglected.. IMO she's scruffy, is crawling with nits and her mum knows full well she is !! The mum is scruffy too tho.. Ill go have it out with the school first then onto the mum.. I doubt I'm the only parent in this situation with the nits tho

[RandomMess]

Nope, honestly I would speak to the school and then social services that little girl needs help.

[mumnosGOLDisbest]

nits are awful and yes the child needs to be treated bit yabvu and mean to yell your dd to stay away from her. if everyone did that the poor little girl will end up an outcast :( when you cleared dds head the 1st time? maybe the 2nd outbreak was the eggs hatching. ime no amount of combing or lotions removes the eggs. that takes time and fingernails. teatree oil spray is good too.nits don't like it.

[CouthyMowWearingOrange]

I have had an issue with this - and the family in question have a DC in all 3 years that I have DC's. It drove me mad for five fucking years.

Until I found Vosene kids shampoo. Lice bloody hate it. In two years, my DC's have only caught them once. I swear by the stuff.

I also comb my DC's every third day without fail. Only way to prevent infestations from taking hold is to just accept that you HAVE to nit comb every 2-3 days from the day they start preschool until the day they leave Y11!

Once you have accepted that, it just becomes part of the bedtime routine.

[Newtothisstuff]

I've bought some of that vosene shampoo so fingers crossed..

[jigglybottom]

Oh dear the dreaded headlice! I get them everytime we recieve a letter from the school to warn there has been an outbreak (my head itches off!...its all in the mind, brings back bad memories of vinegar when I was 8 ) unfortunatly my Ds heard me joking with my mum that "I've got them again" when I read the last letter and then his teacher kept looking towards my hairline everytime she was talking to me. Ha Ha I'm guessing he had told her I had got them again .

My sister had them bad when she was younger and I had to use conditioner and the comb everynight for 2 weeks until we had finally got rid, guess I will be looking back on this thread when Dd catches them.

[numbum]

I'm going to pretend I imagined someone telling the OP to phone SS over a case of NITS!

OP definitely get a Nitty Gritty, check your DD every evening and do as someone else suggesting, tie your DD's hair up tightly and spray with hairspray and tea tree. You can get a Vosene shampoo which is supposed to deter nits too. I use it on my DC and we've only had nits once, which came from me after helping in a class where a teacher's DD was crawling with them!

[mustbetimetochange]

DS was in reception less than 2 weeks before we all had them - I have had all my hair chopped off and I now comb them everyday.

DD was scratching like mad, but it took a week of combing to find the one I found in her hair.

I told the teacher but as far as I am aware they have done nothing.