To think this is an over reaction to lice and refuse permission?

[Kungfutea]

We've lived in the us since sept (so fairly new) and my dds (kindegarten and 3rd grade) go to school here. It turns out that there are head lice going around. We were told there was going to be a check by the school nurse. I was a bit as we'd never had that in England with the dds and it reminded me of my own school days many moons ago but, ok...

Anyway, we were having a friend of dd1 and her family over for dinner on Friday and the mum calls up saying she will have to cancel as her dd was sent home with lice, as were 3 other kids in dd1s class! I was totally shocked at the idea of anyone canceling because of lice and told her it was fine, if dd1 was going to be infected, it'd have happened by now! They just need to avoid head contact and tie their hair back. So they came over (super apologetic) and it turns out that their dd was immediately isolated after the check (in tears!) and all the chikdren with nits/lice had to be picked up immediately. I was very .

And then it got worse. The other mum said that the only reason they came over was because their dd had been treated by this commercial company that does treatments and they'd paid $300 for the privilege. And then it turns out that it is this very same company which does the checks at the school!!

So wiu to have sent an email to the school telling them that they do not have permission to check my dds for lice? I told them I would be checking at home but that I'm not happy for a commercial company with a clear conflict of interest to do it and neither am I happy with the response (which i think is totally ott)? Being relatively new I don't want to be a trouble maker but this just seems an over reaction and upsetting for children.

[McNewPants2013]

You may be onto something there, I would ask MN to delete your replys and take it to dragons den.

I am being serious, because people pay for cleaners and car washes. Parents will pay for this service

[Pixel]

Seeker - it would work I know it! But we'd have to go and live in America...

Is Canada as hysterical? I wouldn't mind that. .

[NonnoMum]

Having spent many an hour combing my DD's hair, I'd lice like to add to the mix that combing along does NOT eliminate all the little critters.

Even the fine tooth comb only gets out the great big established buggers, but the tiny little 2 ml long newly-hatched buggers don't get collected in the comb.

They have to be pulled out down the hairshaft which is pretty inaccurate work.

Think I'd pay the $300.

Bastard lice.

[NonnoMum]

oooh - interesting Pixel

[meditrina]

Nit threads always make me itch!

It's up to the parents whether they use the company to delouse. And it's up to parents to check whether their child actually has nits - and complain if it's wrong. But any nit checker might get it wrong. The issue is the school policy of sending home immediately on discovery, and I have no idea if that's standard in US. If it's not, and you can demonstrate parental consensus against the policy, you have a good platform to press for change.

[NonnoMum]

btw had a friend who went to live in the states for 6 months whilst her DH was on some sort of 6 month contract.

She wasn't allowed to join the toddler groups because her DC wasn't inoculated against some random disease. bubonic plague or something. She found it pretty unfriendly.

[NonnoMum]

Ignore the first line of my last post.

[Kungfutea]

Notmorefootball

We've been asked to send in bin bags as well....

[McNewPants2013]

www.thehairforce.co.uk/our-services/

It seems nit removal companies are available in the uk seeker

[May09Bump]

Sounds like a similar policy to our school in NYC - and yes parents did use these private companies, which were obviously alien to me.

Totally hear you when you say same language, different culture.

[NotMoreFootball]

Must be standard practice here, I've been here a year and so far we have survived 3 'mass outbreaks' unscathed so maybe their practices do work after all!

[mrsjay]

have you checked the area you live policy on headlice, I once spoke to an american woman and the state she lives schools can be shut down because of headlice and children are not allowed back until they are clear of lice, check the public health policy, before you go wading in,

[mrsjay]

sorry but ARF at the louse buster you could get the dyson out and do it yourself lice cleaning companies I really have seen it all now

[mrsjay]

years ago my dd s had them from christmas till end of term in june I combed and combed and fecking combed and treated I would have paid for the lice hoover I was desperate and the DDs were miserable,

[NotMoreFootball]

I've just checked the policy for the County where my DS goes to school and it states children must leave school immediately if they are found to have Lice, they will be granted 2 days authorized absence to have treatment then must be escorted back to school by a parent and checked by the Headteacher before they will be allowed back in the classroom!

[Pixel]

Mrs Jay, just looked at that link and sniggered a lot at 'lice assassins'.

Also noticed that once they've hoovered your child's head and 'dehydrated' the lice , you have to do the rest of the work yourself, with a kit bought from them of course.
After the appointment you then need to comb out all the dehydrated nits (the eggs) and over the following week to 10 days comb out that potential 5% that comes through. The Hairforce Home Assassination Kit (available at The Lounge) will enable you to do this confidently and effectively

But, BUT, There is one of those places in the town where I live and I could do with another job! I wonder if I could keep a straight face long enough to get through an interview? especially considering the 'uniform'

[Bue]

I suspect my parents would have gratefully forked over a fortune to a nit removal company in the 80s. My sister had it three times in as many years, and being in Canada, we did the whole bagging things up / boiling thing / eradicating every last one. (In fact I didn't know that wasn't the done thing here!)

I don't remember anyone ever being horrified by nits though. I used to get very nervous when we had checks, but outbreaks were not a rare occurence. In fact the first time my sister had them she got to go to the school office while waiting for our parents to collect her, where the headmistress spent two hours corn rowing her hair. She felt like the celebrity of the school!

[mrsjay]

Mrs Jay, just looked at that link and sniggered a lot at 'lice assassins'.

I could be a lice assasin would I get a costume like a ninja

[mrsjay]

After the appointment you then need to comb out all the dehydrated nits (the eggs) and over the following week to 10 days comb out that potential 5% that comes through. The Hairforce Home Assassination Kit (available at The Lounge) will enable you to do this confidently and effectively


sojust nit combs then I could do it with my hoover and bug buster set myself up.

[Artemis206]

Does anyone else have an itchy head whilst reading this?

[StuntGirl]

I think you have to accept it as part of the cultural differences in America OP. You could try going to the school with the info you posted and request your daughter isn't sent home, but I suspect they'll say something like it's school policy.

As an aside, I never had lice as a child and I don't remember a single other person having them either. Is the frequency children get them these days a new thing or was I just unusually lucky in avoiding them?

[LineRunner]

seeker and Pixel I'm in if you'll have me. I nit comb my cat and we both love it. (Well, I flea comb her obv.) I'm sick of pumping her full of chemicals that don't work and a twice daily comb is the business.

StuntGirl, No, I never had lice as a kid either.

[Pixel]

I never had them either and don't remember knowing anyone else who did, but I do remember Nitty Norah the flea explorer coming to the school so I guess they must have been around.

[Pixel]

Oh I love de-fleaing cats. Mine is a big disappointment as he won't stand for it and gets very vicious if I try, so I'm forced to use Advocate on him.

[80sMum]

What happens in the US usually finds its way over here eventually. Give it 10 years or so ........