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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not look after DN on tuesday as she has head lice?

111 replies

ceasar04 · 17/04/2011 16:54

As its says really. DSis works full time and I'm on mat leave so offered to have DN next week but she has got nits, Sad was exposed yesterday and head full of it this morning. Have got DS 2.9 and DD 20 weeks. DSis getting Headrin stuff from docs on prescription tomorrow so DN won't be treated till Mon night. Has been through with tea tree and nit comb though.
She is spending tomorrow with the family who she got it from but I really don't want my two exposed.

How quick does Headrin work?

And AIBU if I can sorry can't have her?

Actually I think in reality I won't refuse to have her, DSis will be really stuck if I say no. Is there any way my LO's won't get it??

In a dither.....

OP posts:
caesar04 · 17/04/2011 20:08

I'm really not precious about it...honestly!!!

The thought of grappling with a hysterical DS trying to treat head lice on my own (Dh works nights) after having 2 fillings and no more than 3 hours kip at a time in four months while trying to keep DD amused/fed/asleep does not fill me with pleasure.

And was hoping to avoid the joys of nits till DS at school! But if they get them I will deal with and treat it as I would any illness they get, tis what parenting is all about after all Smile

I said several times that I very much doubt I would refuse to have DN but I was hoping for some hints about how to keep my DC nit free and have had some great suggestions, thanks all x

caesar04 · 17/04/2011 20:12

And agree plop to suggest that about Bogeyface is out of order. Can't believe I am being called precious when you're on the thread!!

Bogey just think of me spraying DCs head with a sex toy cleaner bottle...a smirk ...no??? Smile

Bogeyface · 17/04/2011 20:14

:o that did make me laugh and I was about to post to that effect until I read on and well......you saw what happened!

I love the image though! :o:o

caesar04 · 17/04/2011 20:18

Good!! And good on you with 5 DC's, I have found life in general much more tricky since DD born, could not imagine 5DCs!!!!

alistron1 · 17/04/2011 20:19

Can I just dispel a few nit myths.

Chemical shit kills live lice. Not the eggs. And it might not even kill all the live lice.

The only way to eradicate nits is by wet combing with conditioner every few days for 2 weeks or so. This way you are hoiking out nits as they hatch and before they are able to lay more eggs...thus breaking the life cycle.

And as someone said, it's nits, not ebola.

When I had my last child my other 3 (at primary school) were in the grip of the great nit outbreak of 2004. I nit combed the 3 of them whilst I was in the early stages of labour on a tuesday night, gave birth on a wednesday morning and nit combed 'em again when I arrived home. It really wasn't difficult.

I nit combed myself too - I have longish afro type hair as does my oldest DD. It wasn't difficult.

Bert2e · 17/04/2011 20:25

A "head full of lice" takes a while to establish so she must have been infested for some time to get to that stage. Schools take lice infestations seriously and can report them as a child neglect issue to SS. Nit combs are free from some GPs, very cheap in a chemist - although a Nitty Gritty comb is more expensive. Just check your children and treat them as necessary - simple.

ivykaty44 · 17/04/2011 20:27

thats why olive oil and straightners help to get rid of nits.

Conditioner does work, it isn't as good as olive oil as the conditioner method doesn't send the lice to sleep and they can run on the scalp and get away from the nite comb - using the olive oil method works better as the nits are asleep when doing the combing method and this makes life easier as you can get many more out from the hair and scalp.

A lot of eggs are laid behind the ears and in the nape of the neck where it is warmer, but some of the eggs will be down on the hair shaft and using the straightners will help to kill some of the eggs.

The life cycle of nits is 21 days so patients and keeping doing the same thing over and again is part of the trick of getting rid.

horriblemotheragain · 17/04/2011 20:29

Hedrin isn't 'chemicals' as such - it's silicon, which suffocates the lice (and penetrates the eggs, which is why you only have to treat once, not a week later when eggs hatch).

Headlice are a pain, but I would still look after her, esp. if she's combing through and treating before DN comes to you.

Bogeyface · 17/04/2011 20:29

Tell me about using straighteners please!

What is the best technique? My lot all have long straight hair apart from ds who hardly ever picks them up, so using straighteners might be doable :)

caesar04 · 17/04/2011 20:41

Update text from DSis, she has also got "The Nits" as DN is calling it!

Am going to suggest the olive oil trick to her so she can put it on tomorrow before DN goes to her friends.

We are now a bit confused as to where DN got it from, she was staying at our DB house all last week, none of his DC's have it but spent Fri night/Sat day with the child who has it and woke up Sunday with "a head full" quoting my DSis. Previously to that she hasn't seen said child for 2 weeks?

So either been festering for 2 weeks (boak) and in which case my DB, SIL, their DC's, me, DH, DS, DD AND DN will all have it (double boak)

Or both DN and DSis have picked it up Fri/Sat from this child?

DSis is prone to exaggeration though so maybe her idea of a head full is not quite right!

Bogeyface · 17/04/2011 20:45

If she found a few big fat ones then they could have been picked up over the previous 24 hours. However, if she found big ones, small ones and eggs then she has had them longer than that. Ask your sis if there are any eggs glued to the shaft of her DDs hair, that would indicate that she has had them atleast a week, as that is howlong the eggs take to hatch.

Sounds like someone in the family doesnt know they have them tbh.

blondebutonlyfaking · 17/04/2011 20:47

Do you all realise you have me scratching and I am convinced I have nits which I have caught over t'interweb?

Bogeyface · 17/04/2011 20:48

Oh and you wouldnt all definetely get them, it depends on whether heads of carriers where close enough to heads of non carriers for long enough for a louse to crawl from one head to the other. In adults that would be rare and unless you spend atleast a few minutes with the carrier on your knee head to head, it is unlikely you would get them from your neices and nephews too.

HansieMom · 17/04/2011 21:00

I think the suggestion was to use a shower cap, not a swim cap. I don't think your niece could stand a whole day in a swim cap.

Wish I could comb through a child's affected hair! I love that kind of thing.

caesar04 · 17/04/2011 21:21

Hansie Bloody hell glad you pointed that out, totally misread as swim cap, poor child!

Just spoken to DSIs again, she is at the friends house whose DS had it and has used her left over Headrin on DN so hopefully should be much improved by Tues.

And we think DN has definitely had it for at least a week, more likely 2 weeks, has eggs, big ones and small ones.

I'm feeling awful now though as I was looking after her at DB/SIL house last week and never spotted a thing. DN has thick curly mad hair so she doesn't wash it very often and DN does her own hair in the mornings now so I didn't even brush it last week Blush
Neglectful auntie caesar, oh dear..... no way can I not look after her now!!!

Will see how "The Nits" progresses in our house!!

MillyR · 17/04/2011 21:34

Alistron, it depends on which chemical you use. The Hedrin that should be left on for a couple of hours kills the live lice and has a chemical that penetrates the eggs and kills them. The Hedrin that you leave on overnight only kills live lice with silicon. You then repeat the Hedrin treatment later to kill the lice that have hatched from the eggs.

This is in theory. In reality, if a child has long thick hair (like my DD), it is very difficult and expensive to entirely coat all of the hair. I have used hedrin and still found a couple of live lice the next day.

So I would say that if you are going to use a lice treatment, you need to comb too, and preferably with a nitty gritty comb.

Udderly · 17/04/2011 21:37

I have nothing of any substance to add except I too get a weird rush of pleasure from squeezing the eggs between my fingernails, and am wondering if even more fun would be gained by hair straightening them or would it take away from it!!

MillyR · 17/04/2011 21:40

I wish all of these people who like killing lice would come to my house, because I am sick of the nit battles. DD even does the voice of the lice begging to live. "no, no, I am Arthur. I don't want to die!" She was on the side of the lice when some of them survived the Hedrin.

MilaMae · 17/04/2011 21:58

The Nitty Gritty comb often doesn't work.It's a surburban myth that the Nitty Gritty works without fail and is what often I believe leads to the recurring nightmare.We have 2 combs,3 kids. We've combed every night for a month and combing hasn't worked.We just go to Hedrin straight away now.

Top tip-we buy the Hedrin that comes in a big bottle because we have kids with lots of hair.It works out cheaper than the tiny bottles,not sure which is which.We always leave on overnight(even though you don't have to) then repeat in a week/10 days(whatever the recommendation) is. The trick is to literally smother all the hair,get the child to bend forward so you do underneath too.Work it in with your fingers then comb through.

Op plait all the kids hair for the day,works a treat.Since I've started plaiting dd's hair we've been nit free for a year even when her brothers had it.

MilaMae · 17/04/2011 21:59

There is just enough in the £16 bottle from Boots to do 3 kids twice.If you're buying Hedrin it's the quantity that counts,get the biggest bottle you can afford.

cat64 · 18/04/2011 00:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

PlopPlopPing · 18/04/2011 08:52

Bogey - How Fucking dare I? (in your words) Because you said that your kids have had no point in the last 5 years without nits! That's how fucking dare I! If that's not true then you shouldn't have written it!

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 18/04/2011 09:48

But you implied that this meant she was neglecting her children, when in fact she was saying that her kids keep picking up the nits. She didn't say that, because of this, she didn't bother treating/nit combing her children when they did get them - that would have been neglectful.

If the children are surrounded by a lot of other children with nits, it is hardly surprising if they keep picking them up - and that doesn't make Bogey neglectful.

I do think you owe her an apology.

Ormirian · 18/04/2011 09:57

My 3 (and me Angry) have had lice so often they started naming them.

I don't like it, they don't like it, I treat them (Hedrin as an instant response to the live buggers, followed by nitty gritty combing two or three times to get rid of the eggs) and they get them again.

No-one has died. But I will admit to looking forward to not having a primary school child anymore.....

Ormirian · 18/04/2011 09:59

Oh, another tip. DH has very little hair left so he shaves his head. Never gets live. Just a thought for those who find them utterly revolting and shudder-making.

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