To keep my kids off school to treat nits?

[GymBunnieWannabe]

DS1 (12 ) comes to me this morning and says his head itches. See a live not, I check other kids and DS3 has a few eggs. I go to chemist and they give me and 8 hour lotion.

I can't put it on tonight as we have a little Halloween party going on till 9pm.

I don't really want to send them in tomorrow with them again so WIBU to keep them off tomorrow to treat it?

I'm confused if all your doing is answering the door to trick or treaters why does that have to finish at 9? I would put the stuff on tonight before bed get up a bit earlier and rinse off in the morning. No need to keep 3 children off school for the day!

Okay, sorry, I didn’t realise you had to go with that lotion. I would keep them off school tomorrow then. We do the conditioner method here, which is time consuming but cheap as you only need normal kids conditioner. Might work well as a weekly check and avoid the need for the treatment next time.

Sorry just bad wording. We were walking to school, he walks ahead with his friend (different school same route) and came back to tell me he was itchy.

Put it on after school- anyone knocking to trick or treat will be well used to seeing people with weird and wonderful hairstyles and won't know it's nit lotion
Get them up early to wash out ?

I didn’t need know there were any which didn’t need combing. If that’s the case, I think jmh’s auggestion is a good one.

So put it on tonight, rinse it tomorrow, takes 2 minutes per child assuming you have a shower, and the kids can go to school with damp hair. You can then do a proper comb through tomorrow evening.

One more day at school really won't matter.

Does your "party " have go on until 9pm? Can it go on until 8pm instead? As I said on another thread I'd have thought people would stop calling round form 7pm. Trick and treating is for smaller kids and on a school night they'd need to be making tracks for bath and bed by then.

I put conditioner on DD's dry hair and then comb through with the nit comb. Repeat every 3 days for a couple of weeks. No treatments seem to work on her any more and they're rife in her school due to some parents who just don't treat their children's hair.

The pharmacist told me to do the combing method for y'at least 10 mins each head's before application.

I know it's just Halloween but things have been REALLY shit lately and imthis is one thing they've all been looking forwards to. I didn't want them to get home and me say we can't dress up we have to do the nit thing instead. Dd even made her own costume so I'd feel really mean.

I'll try and figure it out x thanks

Instead of keeping them off all day tomorrow can you not pick them up now and get the treatment done?

Agree with others: lotion after school, leave in fro door answering. Wash out in morning. If it's Hedrin you've been given you can leave the time consuming combing until tomorrow night as all the live ones will be dead. Just remember to follow up in 7-10 days with another treatment.

Unless theyve got long hair it doesn't take long to delouse boys. I would not keep kids of school.

I'll just keep them up late to put it on and get them up early.

The only thing that's baffling me about this thread is people saying 'nits aren't a reason to keep them off but then 'you didn't send them to school this morning knowing they had nits did you?'
Because that's very contradictory.

On a side note...

Is there actually anything that genuinely deters nits? That you can put in regularly? Like an anti nit shampoo or something?

If you’ve got a Nitty Gritty then you don’t need Hedrin too. If you haven’t, combing is pointless

Tea tree oil is meant to deter them. We use child’s farm detangling spray that has it in and haven’t had nits for 3 years. I’m sure you could buy the oil separately and spritz it somehow?

Do what you were planning to Op, as long as they have good attendance 1 day won't hurt.

I don't think the pharmacist has given good advice.

If you are going to comb, you need to do it for as long as it takes to clear that particular head. You don't do it for a set number of minutes.

Read the pack insert to check instructions. If Hedrin 8 hour, then I don't think you need to comb.

Do it tonight, wash it off in the morning. You could even put it on after school then dress up. Quite acceptable for witches, zombies, skeletons, whatever, to have yucky hair. There is no need for a late night. Mine will be enjoying Halloween and still in bed by 8-8.30. People start knocking about 5.30 and finish at 7-7.30 ish. The party can be straight after school until 7 or so. Plenty of time.

I think you are getting weird responses.

To properly treat and comb children first time takes ages.

While I get school is important. My kids wait all year for Halloween!

Do what YOU think is best. You clearly don’t have the luxury of buying the speediest and expensive treatment. You have to use what you have been given. So do the best you can. And Good luck.

If they are dressed up as vampires then slicked back nit treated hair is perfect. Lank tangly hair also perfect for witches. Just work with the situation and do it tonight and make it part of the fun (as much as you can).

Regular combing even without seeing nits or lice is the only thing you can do to prevent. That and tying hair back and discouraging heads touching.

I have a nitty gritty comb, yes.

I hate these creepy Crawley little buggers. My head is itchy now because I'm thinking about them. Yuck :(

I think I would have turned round this morning and treated there and then, I wouldn’t be sending my kids into school to infect the whole room! IMO it’s as bad as taking a sickness bug in!

Our area don't recommend these lotions at all now, just conditioner and combing

Whatever you decide to do YABU to keep them off school