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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:
Ormirian · 18/04/2011 09:59

LICE not live Hmm

ilythia · 18/04/2011 10:07

Orm, DH does tht as well, every time we have an outbreak (which is often) he just cuts his hair, bastard.

I don't knwo where ours get them from, I know there is a girl in DD1's class who slways has them and DD2 is at nursery so unsure if she takes them in from her sister or gets them from someone else.
Nursery are fine with it, I take her in in the morning and tell them I combed the night before and they are a bit 'meh, nits again?' about it.

You cant avoid it with small children with long hair imo. I comb 2 or 3 times a week unless we are on holidays when it is only once a week (no-one to catch it off)
We had a few months where it was constant and I am shocked at those of you that think that Bogey is a bad mother because her kids have nits, without sending your children out with fucking swim caps on everyday you can't stop the little feckers.

Persepctive, people.

Bogeyface · 18/04/2011 10:36

Can I just make it clear that out of 5 school aged children (now 4) ONE of them would have them at any one time NOT all of them!

I was merely trying to point out that having school aged children and dealing with nits is rather like painting the Forth bridge, in that as soon as I manage to get rid of them, another one will come home with them, it is never ending. It seems to go in cycles where DS in reception will get them several times and then DD in yr 1, while DS stays nit free for a while.

I nit comb on a daily basis combined with a full on bug bust once a week. These are not the actions of a neglectful mother and I deeply resent the implication that I am one, THAT is why I am bloody annoyed!

Onetoomanycornettos · 18/04/2011 10:51

I'd also say, Bogeyface, that some children are just attractive to nits. One of my daughters gets them frequently (wherever she goes, she's been in three nurseries/preschools/schools). My other daughter almost never gets them, despite having long hair. Perhaps your children are very attractive to nits, this is a distinct possibility!

Onetoomanycornettos · 18/04/2011 10:55

www.chc.org/

I use these combs, there's a really fine grained one which gets rid of eggs and shell cases as well as nits. I have never failed to get rid of an infestation within a week with these combs, two or three gos, a couple of days apart usually do it, and that's with long tangly hair.

You can get these on prescription, I just buy them and have had our last set for years.

Whoever said plaiting for girls long hair was spot on, we have gone two terms without nits after plaiting/tying hair back every day.

ilythia · 18/04/2011 19:35

you can get them on prescription? Damn! I have just ordered a second set after 18 months with the first one. I have used the checmical shite but these ones work, and are much easier imo. Plus I got 'Kipper has nits' book as wellGrin

stealthsquiggle · 17/05/2011 11:31

I know this is an old thread, but please can someone link for me to the bottle of Hedrin I should be buying? DD definitely has them, DS has had and I will be checking again tonight. I am nitty-gritty combing with conditioner to keep things under control but want to do the overnight thing at the weekend, or possibly sooner .

valiumredhead · 17/05/2011 12:06

Hedrin Once or the original Hedrin which you have to do again 7 days afterwards.

stealthsquiggle · 17/05/2011 12:14

Can either one be left on overnight, or only the 'normal' Hedrin Confused?

valiumredhead · 17/05/2011 12:16

Normal can be left on over night, not used the 'Once' but think it's done in an hour iirc. It has instructions in the box you know Wink

stealthsquiggle · 17/05/2011 12:19

yes, yes I know..... but I am confused and trying to buy online because it is bloody miles to the nearest Boots and even then it is tiny and may or may not have what I need Grin

OK, so if you have had success with leaving Hedrin 'classic' on overnight (presumably twice!) then I shall go with that and it will be all your fault if it doesn't work

A1980 · 17/05/2011 12:21

YANBU

I wouldn't look after her. Not with two very young children. Lice are hell to get rid of and it will be very difficult to treat such young children if yours get it.

valiumredhead · 17/05/2011 12:36

It will only kill the live lice not the eggs - so you do it and that's why you do it again the week after to make sure you get the ones that have hatched since you lat did it.

Personally I would use the ONCE ( It wasn't available when ds had it )

aliceliddell · 17/05/2011 12:39

Why doesn't the govt do something useful (ha!) and announce Nit Day: all kids are deloused by parent/carer at school on the same day, checked by Headteacher, those off sick get done first day back? Not sure how you get all siblings done though. Would this (brilliant) idea work?

valiumredhead · 17/05/2011 12:48

alice - nits only became such a problem when the Nit Nurse at schools were got rid of and teachers weren't allowed to send a kid home with a note imo! I think that's a bloody good idea!

My sister who lives in the US says there is zero tolerance where she is and the kids aren't allowed back to school until they have been checked by the school nurse.

Tbh I don't get it when parents moan about how hard they are to get rid of - if you follow the instructions properly they are easy to get rid of. Ds has had them a couple of times and I was a nanny for years to various families and it was up to me to sort the kids out, it's tiresome but not hard. I think one of the main reasons people find it hard is because they don't do all the kids at the same time.

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 17/05/2011 13:06

Stealthsquiggle - have you tried wet-combing? Wash the child's hair, put plenty of conditioner in, and then comb through in sections with a nit comb, wiping after each stroke of the comb, and inspecting the hair to get as many as possible of the nits? It is time-consuming, but it works. You have to do it every day or every other day to make sure you get it all, but it might be an easier option than trekking all the way to Boots.

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 17/05/2011 13:06

Ooops - forgot to say - sorry if I am stating the blindingly obvious or teaching my grandma to suck eggs.

Finallyspring · 17/05/2011 13:09

ploplopping you almost certainly don't have school aged children. Nits are really common and can be got rid of.Not a big deal at all. The sister really needs help with child care. OP should go ahead.

stealthsquiggle · 17/05/2011 13:31

SDTG - yes, I have tried - that's what I have been doing - but probably not as often as needed, TBH - finding time has been hard, especially as DD and I both have long hair. Hence the 'chemical' approach which means I can do both DC and me (and DH if he will agree Hmm) at the same time, and at the same time the following week, and hopefully be done with it for a while.

Thinking about it made me itch so much I have just driven to Boots, and am now armed Grin

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 17/05/2011 13:35

I hope I didn't offend you, stealthsquiggle - and I hope that the Hedrin does the job for you. Just to encourage you a little - we haven't had nits once since the dses went to senior school.

stealthsquiggle · 17/05/2011 14:00

Not in the slightest, SDTG. I guess I should count myself lucky - DS is in Y4 and this is the first serious outbreak we have had.

lookbutdonttouch · 17/05/2011 14:04

Hi I have been trying to de-nit my DD for the last three weeks. She has hair to the waist. We have conditionered and combed numerous times and then used an electric nit comb regularly which seemed to work. I have been doing me too by the way.

Suddenly as of last night they are worse than ever, am i doing it wrong? Missing an egg and they procreate by the zillion?!?

Tonight we will be doing the hedrin thing and leaving on overnight and then washing out in the morning. Couple of questions though, can I use it on my (artfully) bleached/coloured hair or will it all fall out? Do I need to repeat the entire process in a week?? Do i need to comb both of us in the morning?

Not looking forward to this and off to buy wine to assist....

stealthsquiggle · 17/05/2011 14:07

LOL. They really should put "add wine" somewhere in the instructions.

mum0fthree · 17/05/2011 14:19

This thread takes me back, DD now 15 but OMG it was never ending when she was younger. Really thick hair and I deffo think they do have a preferance for some scalps. DD 9 never had a problem with her, she has had them twice when she was younger.

The one use headrin is the best one. I always checked hair on Fri to stop the little blighters having too long to procreate.

@lookbutdonttouch- it wont affect you highlights.

Glad those days are behind me, used to spend a bloody fortune.

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 17/05/2011 15:12

I seem to remember something about teatree being offputting for lice - might a few drops of teatree in a leave-in conditioner help, lookbutdonttouch?