Aibu to be fuming as mil says only dirty kids catch lice when I warn her my kids have llice?

[lilasimpson]

phoned her to say ds has lice, lots of boys have it in the class... To ensure her other grandchildren who she lives with are ok... She said don't worry , they won't catch it as they shampoo regularly, in her time, other people's kids caught it, never hers... I am fuming!!

i would be mad, as lice/ nits what ever only like clean hair!

It's the exact opposite so she can swivel on her ignorance can't she.

I am so mad at her, told her I phoned her to be honest and ensured the other kids r ok, and as a dr I know that head to head contact is the way to catch ur, my kids shower every night and shampoo every other night!!!! Argh!!

I think I heard somewhere that lice don't care if hair is clean or dirty, as llong as it's attached to a live human. The clean / dirty thing seems to be a generational thing, as I've heard women of my mum's age debate this issue endlessly. Oh the larks...

They're a PITA though, aren't they? (Lice, not MILs). I use the tried and trusted MN Nitty Gritty and slatherings of conditione approach. Hope you can get shot of the little critters soon!

She sounds like my MIL.

She has many crazy mad interesting theories about all sorts of stuff.

Many times I have been dancing on my hat in temper after leaving her house.

She just won't hear the cold voice of reason and logic. She may well be related to your MIL.

My MIL said the same thing, and he children never had lice, neither have SILs ever had them.

The clean/dirty thing is a myth, but apparently they like some hair types more than others. DP and DS1 have very thick hair, DP has never had nits, DS1 had about 3. Me and DS2 have very fine silky hair, I always had lice as a child (not literally always, but it felt like it, and Mum worked in a pre-school, so as fast as we were treating them they were coming back) He had what seemed likr hundreds last year! Luckily they haven't come back since I treated him.

I was told that they don't like ginger hair. But not by someone very trustworthy (ginger friend with no medical or scientific training). It's true in my experience though, never had them. Still get an itchy head just thinking about them though.

Holo, mils are also a pita! But seriously I am dreading bringing my kids over to her this week end... And also hate sil for having told her before I did!

My son is ginger and has had nits. Butttttt only once. Whereas my daughter has had them at least 8374837482634 times. And she's only 9. And her mother never exaggerates either.

Oh for God's sake! I'd be fuming. Mind you, ignorance knows no bounds, my MIL told me they didn't have umbilical cords in her day. An interesting assertation.

the ginge thing is definatly pants, my brother had them about 5 times!!

Does she wrap the kids up in brown paper when they've got a cold too?

I don't know anything about nits and their hair preferences but Berries MIL is definitely bonkers.

I would feel awful if I couldn't get read of these stupid things ASAP... I think dd and me might have caught them too, it's going to be hard if I have as I have v thick, curly and long hair!!

Loving the umbilical chord thing!

My mil CRIED when i had to mention dd's filling. "what a shame/she so young/can't believe you have let this happen". If she had clamped her big fat hairy mouth shut (yes, she's really that gorgeous) she would have heard me explain the filling was a chip in her tooth from where dh, mil's beloved son, had been on trampoline with dd and chipped her tooth with his wedding ring.

When are most mils going in room 101. Frank skinner i need you.

Apparently, "children will have better teeth the later they come in".

This is from The Big Book of Facts written by my MIL.

Also, "if your child has a persistent cough go off and find a road where tar is being laid and make them breathe in the fumes".

Whilst not forgetting the classic "Mothers will accept anyone as a DIL because people take their standards from the man" - I don't even know what that means.

My MIL is quite batty though.

I caught lice from my neice and never had them as a child. My Mother used to smother us in vinegar - ahhhh horrid stuff they wouldnt go near me.
Its balls though clean or dirty they will get you at some point.

I would be inclined to catch a few and deposit them onto her barnet when she isnt looking.

Is it possible MIL had some other meaning behind what she said but didn't express herself very well?

aquashiv your DM kind of had a point about the vinegar, though - it is the business at getting rid of the eggs as it dissolves the glue that binds the eggs to the hair. Soak hair in vinegar (tell child to keep eyes closed as fumes sting), then wash as usual - it really breaks the breeding cycle. It also leaves DC with lovely shiny hair.

Nitty Gritty, Hedrin and regular combing with conditioner still necessary though.

(2 yrs 3 months nit free and still counting - when I stop needing my Nitty Gritty I will probably have it framed)

when you do a comb through of your Dc's hair keep a couple. They survive for up to two days off of a head.
Go to visit MIL and drop a couple onto her head.

Remind her that only dirty people catch lice

Actually - just a thought - could your MIL have meant the other kids shampooed regularly with anti-lice shampoo as a preventative?

No she meant the other kids shower regularly... Thanks for all ur comments, they made me laugh!

I really do think that lice just find some people tastier than others, same as mosquitoes and gnats bite some people and ignore others.

Mind you, am just downstairs from a bugbusting session and poor DS is hopping with them again. Tomorrow we are going to the barbers and I'm afraid he is getting a no2 crop which will make the poor little sod look a proper Croydon Chav.