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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this child should have been kept off school (nits)?!!!

213 replies

WiseFinch · 21/03/2025 17:17

I am a teaching assistant and have been working with early years this week. Child informs me that they had “fleas in their hair” and had to have special shampoo last night.,
My first reaction was to keep a wide berth but this is absolutely impossible with a 4 year old.

Through the course of the day, it is very clear that this child still has a raging case of nits and is itching their head - and also hanging off me every five minutes for a cuddle… This was two days ago and now my head is itching. I did not have close contact for very long and it wasn’t head to head, plus my hair was up, but I’m now absolutely paranoid I’ve got nits - and I’m sure they’ll be going around the whole class as we speak.

I am new-ish to this job and don’t have kids myself, but surely you should keep your child off until all of the nits are gone? It’s not a case of neglect here, family are well to do and are quite nice people! So I am fully prepared to be told IABU. What does everyone think???

OP posts:
WhenYouSayNothingAtAll · 21/03/2025 17:51

A bit late now, but the best thing to do when you have a confirmed case of lice is to talk to the teacher/office so they can send a letter/email home with the kids.

As for yourself, comb throughly during the weekend (you can even use one of the many treatments for extra safety) and make sure your hair is always up(preferably tightly braided) and if you want to, use the Vosene spray.

Oh and wash your hands as often as possible, keep nails short and make sure you scrub under them. Particularly if you’re handling playdough or anything similar.

catndogslife · 21/03/2025 17:50

WiseFinch · 21/03/2025 17:30

I’m really new to the job and never worked in schools before, only nurseries, but maybe I’ve just been lucky! I don’t know the policies etc as I don’t deal with parents I’m only part time.

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You have been very lucky then. Nits go round nurseries as well because some children have older siblings at school!

EmeraldShamrock000 · 21/03/2025 17:50

Sadly, it is usually the same child who keeps spreading them, as they haven't been treated properly at home.

Some schools have a bigger issue than others, put a few drops of tea tree oil into your shampoo. It worked for us.

Original poster
WiseFinch · 21/03/2025 17:49

Jeschara · 21/03/2025 17:47

You should know all of this, it's your job ffs. I honestly would not want anyone like you in my kids class room, your ignorance is staggering.

Bit harsh. I’m a 23 year old with no kids of my own trying to have fun with the children and help out with their reading, and the kids love me! I teach kids in my classroom to use kind words, I hope there is someone like me influencing your DC.

OP posts:
Onelifeonly · 21/03/2025 17:49

It's really not that big a deal. Itchy and annoying, that's all. My dd repeatedly got them, so therefore, so did I. We just got used to regular combing after a hair wash and medicalised treatment - though for a while it was advised we didn't use it as the head lice were becoming immune to it.

greengreyblue · 21/03/2025 17:48

Whoarethoseguys · 21/03/2025 17:46

My children are in their thirties and were never kept off school when they had nits and I am in my 60s and we were never kept off school when nits either. The nit nurse would check our hair and if they found nits they came to the house with Derbac soap to kill the nits black and smelled unpleasant but we still had to go to school!

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Yes they were. I’m 54 and we had a nit nurse check regularly. If you had them you were sent home.

Liondoesntsleepatnight · 21/03/2025 17:47

Buy a nitty gritty comb. Do it every Friday evening. Wash beefing weekly.

if I was mean I would also add Scabies into this thread. (My Dad was a teacher, we all got scabies once)

Jeschara · 21/03/2025 17:47

You should know all of this, it's your job ffs. I honestly would not want anyone like you in my kids class room, your ignorance is staggering.

PrincessBing · 21/03/2025 17:47

Sorry OP but it's very easy to pick up thread worms from small children! I even had them once as an adult with no dc / not working in schools at this point. Still no idea where I caught them.

greengreyblue · 21/03/2025 17:47

Yanbu used to be ok to send a child with actual crawling lice home. Now they have to stay so they can spread it around. Nice.

CoffeeAndIce · 21/03/2025 17:47

I'm genuinely amazed you've worked in nurseries and never heard of threadworms?! Unfortunately not just from wiping bums, a child could have eggs stuck under nails and play with playdough, Lego etc. you/other children then also play with playdough, eggs get on hands, you/other children touch your mouth/eat food/something similar and you all now have worms. Fun!

Whoarethoseguys · 21/03/2025 17:46

Iknowaboutpopular · 21/03/2025 17:27

How many years ago was that then? Because I have an 18 year old and that's never been a thing.

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My children are in their thirties and were never kept off school when they had nits and I am in my 60s and we were never kept off school when nits either. The nit nurse would check our hair and if they found nits they came to the house with Derbac soap to kill the nits black and smelled unpleasant but we still had to go to school!

MaryMalone25 · 21/03/2025 17:45

WiseFinch · 21/03/2025 17:33

Definitely going to comb tonight. Sounds so odd but if it was on my child I’d know to look through their hair I’m just struggling to think of how I’d do this with myself!! Just check on the comb if there’s any?

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Yes, you’ll see them on the comb. Rinse then away down the sink.

Original poster
WiseFinch · 21/03/2025 17:44

Well consider me thoroughly enlightened, nits and worms oh the joy!! Not me just thinking I was doing a nice job to make a difference with children! Not catching literal parasites 😂😂
Thanks for the advice everyone, I’m sure I’ve given you all a good laugh with my utter ignorance 😂😂😂

OP posts:
Rooroobear · 21/03/2025 17:43

You can get worms from touching surfaces a child who has worms has touched (if you then put your fingers near your mouth) not from wiping bums

Original poster
WiseFinch · 21/03/2025 17:42

Rh0dedenr0n · 21/03/2025 17:40

Jesus OP, do you know ANYTHING about working with young children 😂

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Apparently not?😂 I’ve only worked in nurseries and I’ve never had to deal with nits… and worms?!!!!!! What on earth? Please tell me adults cannot get worms from kids, unless you are wiping bottoms which I always did with a glove? Never seen kids with worms ever!

OP posts:
JockTamsonsBairns · 21/03/2025 17:41

WiseFinch · 21/03/2025 17:37

There is always one… I’ve got multiple safeguarding certificates. This child is not neglected otherwise I’d have reported to my DSL instead of making a MN post 😂

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You mean that no concerns about neglect have been raised, not that the child isn't being neglected?

There's a big difference.

Azaleahead · 21/03/2025 17:41

I use a nit comb to comb the conditioner through my hair on every wash. Haven’t had nits for years (DC at secondary now where I think they’re less prevalent) but I keep doing it out of habit now.

Might help you feel more relaxed about the risk if you tried this I.e. constantly taking preventative measures? And definitely keep tying your hair up!

AnotherNaCha · 21/03/2025 17:40

SillyOlivePanda · 21/03/2025 17:39

Oh Op just wait till you hear about threadworms 😀.

She just did

No joke OP. Sorry!

Rh0dedenr0n · 21/03/2025 17:40

WiseFinch · 21/03/2025 17:39

Please tell me you’re not serious 😭😭😭 WHAT ABOUT THEM!?😭😭

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Jesus OP, do you know ANYTHING about working with young children 😂

Rh0dedenr0n · 21/03/2025 17:39

Of course it's a never-ending cycle. Or nits would be extinct 😂

Original poster
WiseFinch · 21/03/2025 17:39

AnotherNaCha · 21/03/2025 17:36

What about worms?

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Please tell me you’re not serious 😭😭😭 WHAT ABOUT THEM!?😭😭

OP posts:
SillyOlivePanda · 21/03/2025 17:39

Oh Op just wait till you hear about threadworms 😀.

FKAT · 21/03/2025 17:38

Nits are rife in primary school. The only way to stop them is every single parent condition and nitty gritty comb every couple of days. That's not realistic though. They stop getting them by around 8/9. The school should be sending out letters and educating parents on fine tooth combing (with a nitty gritty comb, not with the plastic crap that comes with nit shampoo).

Chemical shampoos are bollox.

Snorlaxo · 21/03/2025 17:38

Iknowaboutpopular · 21/03/2025 17:27

How many years ago was that then? Because I have an 18 year old and that's never been a thing.

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I was sent home with nits in the 1980s- my kids in their early 20s were not.
I used tea tree shampoo/conditioner and a nitty gritty comb with my dd. My sons allowed me to cut their hair short when they got it

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