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Original poster

to think it is ridiculous that in todays Britain schools have head lice problem?

172 replies

judyta101 · 15/01/2017 15:20

The head teacher in my DS school regularly sends out letters: 'head lice alert!', 'check your child's hair today for unwanted visitors'. DS who is now 7 got head lice twice in the last six months - first time I had to google it as never seen it before. I was terrified and run fast to the nearest chemist. We moved to the North West over a year ago, but also had the letters in previous school in South Wales.
I have lived in the UK for long time now, but I was born and brought up in Eastern Europe, went to school in the eighties, heard someone had head lice once or twice, it had never spread, never been a problem. Never heard about it at the university or the school I was teaching at.
I asked my SIL (a retired teacher) about it - she laughed it off saying her granddaughters (teenagers now) get it now and again too.
Is it so common and normal that it's just a part of a school life? Am I unlucky to live where it is a problem? Are people not bothered by head lice?

OP posts:
FinnegansCake · 15/01/2017 16:43

When I was at primary school in the U.K. in the sixties, the nit nurse used to come round every few weeks. I don't know how often she found nits and lice, I never had them and was never aware of anyone I knew having them. My mother always used to check my hair immediately if she ever saw me scratch my head, so I suppose they were a problem then as much as now.

My own children grew up in a country with widespread poverty, and my DD caught head lice in her first week at primary school after being seated next to a little girl who looked as though she had never had her hair washed or brushed in her life. Of course, she spread them to DS as well, but that was my only encounter with them in all the years my DC were at school. This was in the eighties/nineties.

Nowadays I'm always hearing in the French media how lice and nits have become a major problem, so it is obviously not just the U.K. that is affected. Apparently the lice have become resistant to treatment, and new products are having to be used to eradicate them.

I would be surprised if the same thing isn't happening in Eastern Europe too.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 15/01/2017 16:45

If people really want to moan about head lice they should at least be moaning about the parents that don't treat their children for head lice.

Massive apologies Boney I was not trying to blame teachers at all. It is totally down to parents. It's just that in my angry moments I wish schools could send letters to parents who persistently don't treat.

Wolfiefan · 15/01/2017 16:47

Some parents don't check their kids.
Many don't know how to get rid of lice. Wash hair. Apply conditioner and comb. Rinse. Every 3 days for 21 days.
And/or apply smothering overnight like Hedrin once then again a week later. Lice aren't immune to being smothered!

fourkids · 15/01/2017 16:51

In part it's that you are talking about 'today' that's the problem, in a way that it wasn't in the 80s - back then the chemical treatments actually worked so the headlice were easier to get rid of.
Then the little blighters started to build up resistance so chemicals were used on a rotational basis.
Now we are mostly down to combing them out...and a lot of parents do not do so particularly carefully, and even if they do, it can be a tedious and fairly long term job. A family of long, curly haired DCs (long hair - not long DCs) with similarly inflicted close friends can take months of combing every other day to be sure they are actually gone and not about to start hatching out again!
Headlice are a pain in the bum...and so are threadworms!

BratFarrarsPony · 15/01/2017 16:51

" People are too clean these days, head lice actually like nice clean hair "

sorry but that is not true, they are not fussy at all.

My Polish ex SIL used to inform me smugly that HER children didnt get lice because she was CLEAN

Bobochic · 15/01/2017 16:52

If you are vigilant about your DCs' personal hygiene, any louse that finds its way onto their heads will be found quickly and any nits can be dealt with quickly and easily, without pesticides.

The DCs who cause mass outbreaks of head louse infestations are filthy.

BoneyBackJefferson · 15/01/2017 16:54

ItsAllGoingToBeFine

Apologies from me too, I had promised myself that I would avoid threads with school or teacher in the title :)

fourkids · 15/01/2017 16:54

Of course you can't exclude a child for having headlice! Or for that matter worms, warts, cold sores, a runny nose etc etc.

notarehearsal · 15/01/2017 16:56

I was one of 5 children and none of us ever had head lice, not once. I went to a private school and know we didn't have a nit nurse there. I do recall my Mother routinely combing our hair through with a nit comb just to check. My own daughter had them twice, the first time when she was 12, second at 18. My son never had them. I do find it surprising that it is so common now and do wonder why this is

fourkids · 15/01/2017 16:57

The DCs who cause mass outbreaks of head louse infestations are filthy.

That's a very sweeping statement! Plus I defy anyone to work out who is 'patient zero' in a headlice outbreak. I'd say the majority of kids I know have had headlice at one or time or another (or several), and have probably passed them on, but they certainly aren't filthy.

TealGiraffe · 15/01/2017 16:58

Nits are always in our primary. Most parents treat / comb and their child is clear. But i can think of at least 3 kids in my year (y4) who are always crawling.

We report to office who send a text home. Nothing happens. Office then sends a letter which includes info on how to remove them. How to get treatment if on low income. How to remove by combing etc.
Nothing happens.

Its infuriating. But we cant do anything. It's just another thing to add to their ss file. I wish we still had nit nurses!

BratFarrarsPony · 15/01/2017 16:59

it's a really silly statement. It is well known that dirt does not cause lice - why keep parroting something that has been well disproved.

Bobochic · 15/01/2017 17:02

Dirt don't cause headlice - heads that are infested with headlice haven't been cleaned.

Oblomov16 · 15/01/2017 17:02

I wonder why schools aren't allowed to tackle/speak to parents directly. When did that happen?

LBOCS2 · 15/01/2017 17:02

That's not true Boho, at all.

My DSis used to get headlice a lot. And it was extremely difficult to get rid of them as she had a huge amount of thick, wavy hair. It invariably took hours to comb through it and sometimes (not always) a few would be missed. But I know that DM was vigilant about it, and I quite clearly remember the unbelievable hassle it caused.

I on the other hand have relatively fine, straight hair, so it was easy to comb and clear my hair. It's simply not true that only 'filthy' children have lice.

I'm dreading DD1 starting school a bit because of this. She has masses of fine, curly hair - it tangles in a second and is not going to be fun to get a fine toothed comb through, no matter how much conditioner we slather on!

Bobochic · 15/01/2017 17:03

Dirt don't cause headlice - heads that are infested with headlice haven't been cleaned.

Original poster
judyta101 · 15/01/2017 17:03

maybe I'm overreacting, but I don't like the idea of creepy crawlies in my son's hair... I'm not squeamish and I'm sure there are worse things than head lice!
Anyway I used both the chemical and the nitty gritty comb, worked so far, but I keep checking...
I'm just surprised that it seems to be so normal, nearly acceptable!

OP posts:
Bobochic · 15/01/2017 17:04

If you have lots of thick wavy hair and are regularly infested with headlice, you need to cut your hair.

SaorAlbaGuBrath · 15/01/2017 17:05

It's not acceptable, but it is unfortunately, just something that happens. Dirt is nothing to do with headlice, all it takes is one bone idle parent not to tackle an infestation and the cycle begins all over again. It's neglect IMO.

LBOCS2 · 15/01/2017 17:06

Because the act of catching headlice is affected by the sort of hair one has?

Bobochic · 15/01/2017 17:08

Not catching but ability to identify a louse. A head crawling with lice is perfectly revolting and highly antisocial.

Zaphodsotherhead · 15/01/2017 17:10

Body lice are on the increase because of low-temperature washing. As one of the scientists said 'if you wash lousy clothing at 30 degrees, all you get is cleaner lice'. This doesn't apply to head lice (you can't boil your children's heads), but a good hot wash every now and again for clothing is a good idea.

Slarti · 15/01/2017 17:10

Agree, we are pathetic about it here. Kids with nits need to be sent home and not allowed back until treated.

Sorry but keeping children off for head lice is what's pathetic. It won't kill them. It won't stop them learning. They need to just get on with it.

SheldonCRules · 15/01/2017 17:10

Teachers aren't allowed to tackle parents or exclude children with lice so there's little they can do bar a generic letter.

Some parents ignore or treat late and by then it's spread. Given there are plenty of 24/7 supermarkets there's absolutely no reason not to pick up something immediately after spotting an issue.

MoreCrackThanHarlem · 15/01/2017 17:11

It's just not true that staff can't speak to parents directly about headlice.
In fact, noticing a child has lice and not taking steps to communicate this with parents is a failure in duty of care. Not raising the issue of regular infestations is a failure to safeguard. All designated CP members of staff should be having regular conversations with parents if their children have untreated lice.