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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think there's no point in asking parents to check for nits

56 replies

HighDataUsage · 09/02/2017 19:41

because its the same kid in my dd's class who is infecting everyone. Every month a letter comes home asking us to check heads for infestation. It is always the same little boy who scratches his head like crazy and his mum stands there oblivious. His two sisters also stand there at home time scratching so it's obvious he's catching it from then. I know it's a viscious circle but I don't see the point in checking if the source of the infestation is spreading it to all and sundry. The teacher very diplomatically mentioned that the mother of the boy isn't very vigilant in checking. So short of shaving of all of dd's hair, what should I do?

OP posts:
Merlin40 · 09/02/2017 21:05

Excluding a child for having nits would be illegal. 😐

bumsexatthebingo · 09/02/2017 21:11

Is it really any different from saying a child can't come in if they're vommitting etc? They've got a parasitic infestation that can spread to other children.

Treewall · 09/02/2017 21:12

I get paranoid that other parents think my DS is the one spreading nits as he scratches his head a lot - but he just has a sweaty head! (It's definitely not him btw - ex hairdresser and have come face to face with a scalp full of nits more times than I like to think about). Same old story, same kid keeps bringing them back.

Original poster
HighDataUsage · 09/02/2017 21:12

Can't the school insist that the child stay off until they're treated and clear just like something else that's infectious like chicken pox? Genuine question.

OP posts:
TheEdgeofSeventeen · 09/02/2017 21:14

Go tell her. The other parents will thank you, she might dislike you after but atlas the nits will go.

Astro55 · 09/02/2017 21:39

Excluding a child for having nits would be illegal. 😐

Not in other countries it's not!

PebbleInTheMoonlight · 09/02/2017 21:49

They need to bring back the nit nurse! Also, in all reality who is meant to be training parents on what to look for?

I fortunately have a hairdresser sister who showed me what to look for and the hot spots you'd pretty much always find one if there's an infestation. Before she showed me I would have been clueless (especially as DD1 has dandruff...I'd have been treating the poor girl every night!)

If you're not meticulous/know what to look for they are so easy to miss.

Throw in a handful of can't be arsed parents too and you have an unending cycle of headlice Sad

Hugepeppapigfan · 09/02/2017 22:17

Why did the nit nurse stop?!

Astro55 · 09/02/2017 22:21

I would imagine when the lotion stopped being prescribed and could be brought over the counter - that and the cost

Trifleorbust · 09/02/2017 22:23

As soon as you stop checking, your child becomes the ongoing source of the infestation. You need to keep removing and keep checking or it will simply be endemic.

Trifleorbust · 09/02/2017 22:24

Also, in all reality who is meant to be training parents on what to look for?

It's not rocket science. Nothing should be crawling and there shouldn't be eggs, either black little things sticking to hairs or white little things (empty eggs).

bumsexatthebingo · 09/02/2017 22:28

It's recommended you treat if you see live lice. Look around the hairline and you will likely see them if your child has them. Comb through with the nitty gritty to be sure and you will comb them out and spot them.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 09/02/2017 22:36

Look around the hairline and you will likely see them if your child has them

I disagree. Unless your child is absolutely riddled you won't spot them without thoroughly nit combing.

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 09/02/2017 22:49

I'd try a sympathetic tactful word to the parent. Maybe school are being too subtle.

mummypeepee · 09/02/2017 22:54

Can you not invite him for tea and send him home with some Hedrin along the lines of oh I'm so sorry think DD has nits so best spray him with this?

MimsyBorogroves · 09/02/2017 23:07

The problem is that if it's a repeated infestation, all the de-nitting and hedrin in the world won't get rid - because there's no guarantee of bedding/towels/dressing gowns etc being washed.

PebbleInTheMoonlight · 10/02/2017 14:11

It's not rocket science. Nothing should be crawling and there shouldn't be eggs, either black little things sticking to hairs or white little things (empty eggs).

Not necessarily. The eggs can look like small knots in the hair or dandruff and the lice and eggs adapt to different hair colours. I always thought I'd spot them easy in my daughter's fair fine hair but my sister went over my handiwork the first time and still found two more eggs. If it was just look for crawling things it'd be a lot easier to sort out!

If you're not shown these things and your child isn't a scratcher then you could be the reason that they never go away. That's why I mentioned training...families where parental knowledge is passed on through constant interaction with the previous generation is not commonplace anymore. Where once a parent would turn to their parents and say "Headlice...what do I need to know" and the knowledge is shared now it's all Google and hoping for the best.

Clearly it's not working. Being condescending really doesn't help either...that puts off parents asking for help!

Gwilt160981 · 10/02/2017 14:23

Speak to school. Buy some nit repellent or put coconut oil in little ones hair. It prevents them.

Apfelbunny · 10/02/2017 14:31

The shampoo that comes in a green bottle...Can't remember what it's called...Is of vosene? Think so...Anyway, we've found that's good.

If other parents don't want to get rid of lice you can at least put them off visiting you too long.

BoomBoomsCousin · 10/02/2017 14:33

I'm in another country and our school have a nit nurse in at the start of each term, parents of D.C. with nits are called up by the nurse to tell them what's been found (in a very nice way) and then the child is not allowed back in school until they've been treated - a teacher checks them when they first come back, if nits or eggs are found they're sent home again (but nicely!).

It keeps nit infestations right down. We had a bit of an outbreak at the beginning of the school year and nothing since. But if you were the child of somewhat neglectful parents, or even just parents who were struggling to get everything done in a day, you might well end up missing quite a bit of schooling with a policy like this.

Screwinthetuna · 10/02/2017 14:39

I didn't actually know kids still got nits, thought they died out, haha! Made it halfway through reception with no nit letter. Definitely just jinxed my kids Wink

MyKidsHaveTakenMySanity · 10/02/2017 15:03

Gah! Now I'm scratching my head. I knew I should have scrolled by this post. Thankfully the sprogs, hubby and I are nit free but I would be really pissed if someone was reinfecting my children with the little pests! I would probably say something loudly to my dc whilst going past the offending mum, "Oh I DO wish whoever is spreading the nits in your class would check their bloody kid's heads!!!" Followed by a nice smile to the mum and a "These nits are such a menace eh?"

3littlebadgers · 10/02/2017 15:16

You must be in the same school as my dcs! The white egg cases are clearly visible even in some of the mum's hairs. I am religiously combing through everyone's hair now as part of our hair washing routine.

Even my ankles itch just thinking about it! I might send them all off to school in shower caps!

Goldenhandshake · 10/02/2017 15:25

We had an ongoing infestation in my DC's class last year, one mother was so anxious, her DD has amazingly long, thick hair, the expense and time to keep re-treating was driving her to distraction, and we only had the odd generic letter go out. We all knew who was the source, and in the end because the teacher refused to, the exasperated mum passed on a note to the nitty child's mum imploring her to do something about it. All clear since!

Alconleigh · 10/02/2017 15:28

They need to bring the nit nurse back. No chance with an austerity government of course. Or somehow be more effective on the parents who aren't dealing with it. The high rates and lack of schools dealing with it compared to other countries feels so.....slovenly.

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