To wait and see which DC starts scratching?

[ShutUpLegs]

I am waging a communication war with the kids' school as regards their head lice notification policy. A lovely email turns up telling me head lice have been detected in my DC's class with a list of helpful actions. But they don't tell me WHICH class. I have multiple DCs in the school. So I grumped a bit and they added the Year Group in to the title of the email - which made me happy because I knew which DC to monitor more closely.

Today, an email has arrived declaring "various Year Groups". I asked for clarification but have been told they are unable to be more specific and could I check all the DCs.

No. Its a PitA to fine comb all DCs without real cause to do so. In the past one DC has had lice without any of the others having them - usually because I respond to the annoying email and catch it early.

So AIBU to wait until I see which one scratches?

YABU. Get them checked.

It's even more of a PITA to treat nits! Just nit comb them. Not all children scratch when they have nits - it depends on how badly they react to the lice bites.

I would check them all with a comb. By the time my lot are noticeably itching, a lot of eggs have been laid and it's even more of a pain to get rid of them!

I would just check them all

Gah. There are nit notifications all the time - I just keep an eye on the kid in the year group that is affected and we have only ever had a full-scale family infection twice. I just don't see why we can't be told which year group it is.

It takes ages to fine comb them all. We all hate it.

Yeah but you should be doing it regularly regardless of letters from school, sorry.

Everyone hate it but it's one of those things that need to be done regularly.

It is pointless for the school to differentiate, because you have to do them all at once if one gets them anyway, otherwise you are not getting rid of the nits at all, and your children would be continuously reinfesting the other children at school...

...but you knew that already, right? RIGHT?

My DC's school does this too. They just say there have been cases of nits, but they don't specify which class. I comb through my DC's hair once a week anyway, but they do have short hair so it's not an arduous task.

It would probably have been quicker just to give all your DCs a comb-through than it would to have written your OP.

I think notifications are completely pointless. On any particular day a child either has them or doesn't - it's a bit like Shroedinger's cat. If you comb today, your kid could acquire lice tomorrow. And some kids seem to be more prone to them than others: my son has never had them, even when his sisters were both infested for a couple of weeks. Comb once a month or so, just to check, and every three days if you find anything until they're gone. Nothing else really works.

just look at the hair at the nape of the neck and behind the ears first. then nit comb any that you are suspicious about.

Check them all and anyone else in the house.

You're a fool if you think they are confined to one class or year group. Just check your kids' hair. All of them.

It can take up to 3 months to start itching once you have nits and some people never itch as it's a reaction from their saliva that causes the itch so it would be worth checking.

Could you reward them for nit checking their sibling's hair. Get a mini digital microscope to go bug hunting on each other with!

YABU, you should check ALL your DCs when the notification comes, because they are very good at sharing nits.

This thread has made me itch!

Just check them! Not everybody itches when they have nits, you only itch if allergic to the bites. I check all my five at least twice a week so if they get them I catch before a full on infestation!

You're emailing back and forth with the school each time rather than just checking each of your children's heads? That's really quite illogical. YABU.

You should be checking them regularly any way.

YABU. Nitty gritty comb. Dollops of conditioner. Comb through and check. Every hairwash, every child. Or no story

Check every week regardless of erratic notes.

No excuses op, get checking.