Aibu to expect school teachers to use head lice treatment?

[Everywhereilookaround]

We've got them AGAIN, itchy nasty little blighters. Got my shampoo ready to use this morning, before DS goes back to school Monday.

It's a common occurrence, we've had them repeatedly over last year at school, as have other families.

I know it's just one of those things, but what's irking me is that a Friend told me DS's teacher publically refuses to use treatment on herself or her own kids, because...toxins... chemicals.... environment....etc.

So instead she combs them out weekly with nit comb and tea tree rince.

So she doesn't get rid of them, just reduces their number every week.

I've seen her itching, (right now we all are!)

I respect that we all have a right to lead our own lives our way...but why must we all suffer for it?!!

If the teacher won't take the treatment, and keeps reinfecting us, there's just no hope.

Or AIBU to feel annoyed by this?

she probably isn't reinfecting you. She probably doesn't have them. If she does, and you know that, then complain to the governors

Posts like this make me so happy I have left teaching.

Unless you have firm evidence it is the teacher reinfecting your child I suggest you look more closely at your child’s classmates with whom your child’s hair will have daily contact. All teachers I know would never have their hair in contact with a child’s because we all don’t want to get nits.

Oh and I never had nits when teaching but frequently scratched my head because I have eczema. Not that it’s any parents’ business why a teacher might scratch their head....

She will be using the nitty gritty comb which gets rid off nits with ease and without chemicals. Regular use will mean she is nit free.

You can indeed treat nits with just conditioner and comb, it's how we do it. None of the treatments work as well as this. As long as you do it thoroughly every time you wash your hair, you'll get rid of them all.

OP, just how close do you think the teacher's head is getting to a child's, because that's how they are spread?

If you are that concerned about what a friend has told you, ask the teacher, and stand by to be told none of your business.

Yes I know she has them, she was discussing it with my friend (hence the refusal to use the shampoo conversation), and my child is special needs he has a lot of cuddles and needs close contact, which she is very good at, I'm not criticizing her teaching, but the whole class has repeatedly been infected.

For the record I'm a teacher too but in a different school. We don't have this problem anywhere near as much as DS school.

My point is theoretical, I feel fed up having to keep treating DS when others don't and this is a problem in school. They are just going around and around. It could be a parent refusing to treat their child's hair.. it just happens to be the teacher that was discussing this.

Scratching your head doesn't mean you have nits. Combing through and using a tea tree rinse once a week is sensible and is probably helping to prevent them. I don't think she is infecting the children. Children pass them to each other through play - put their head together etc

You don't have to treat your child. You should make sure he is nit free. There is no way of knowing the teacher has nits without you inspecting her head, and I don't think you should ask to do that.

We don;t use chemicals. There's no need for them if you treat them the natural way PROPERLY. Many people are just plain lazy and leave their poor DC infested. My sister actually saw them crawling in a child's hair during an assembly and she waited till the Mother was alone and said "You need to get on top of DC nits...they're everywhere on her and she'll be ostracised and feel bad about herself: and the Mum said "I've tried...they won't go!" and my sister then told her the way to get rid with cheap conditioner.

We do that way and we've only had two incidents since my 13 year old started school.

Proper combing does get rid of them - in fact chemical treatment with no combing is how plenty of people end up with persistent nits.
Agree with pps though that the teacher is v unlikely to be the source here, look at the other kids in the class and stop listening to mean school gossip.

Thanks Eric, I didn't know that.

I'm also not saying it's just her...it's the conversation my friend had that made me fed up. All the kids have them. Again. It's been none stop since last September

If she has nots the nitty gritty comb will get rid of them

When my kids were little we were advised conditioner and combing, which does get rid of them all as the nits were becoming immune to the chemicals in the shampoos.

When I was little (70s) were were advised to wash our hair in vinegar. The hair came out very shiny but we all smelt of chip shops.

Nitty gritty and conditioner regularly is far more effective than people who just put on a chemical treatment and think they’re done. So maybe it is your child that is reinfecting everyone?

Tea tree conditioner and a nitty gritty comb are the best way to get rid of nits and actually it’s the overuse of harsh treatments that often means they come back as they are resistant to them.

We've been combing every week and it's not made any difference, we still end up with them. I've not tried conditioner though, will try that. Right now I'm so fed up I could shave my head.

I'm NOT saying the teacher is the source. I was asking about her comments that she won't use treatment. We

The whole class has them. Yes MY child too.. that's the point!!! It's going in circles. Around and around. And its been relentless since September. All the parents I've spoken to are fed up. We don't get notices saying theirs nits in school anymore because there's permanently nits.

Oh I remember the vinegar :-(

I find nitty gritty much more effective than any chemicals. It could be you that’s the problem.
But I do like the idea of blaming nits and lice on teachers. I can’t believe mumsnet hasn’t thought of that before. (Yes I did see that you are a teacher).

Who said anything about loosing her job?!

Mine don’t have nits with nitty gritty comb

She is treating her nits by combing. She’s probably repeatedly reinfected. Why would she opt to use chemicals when the nitty gritty comb is better?

I'm not saying it's a sacking offence!!! I'm asking if it's unreasonable to expect her to treat the lice. She's not alone in her preferences, but she's been discussing it with a friend of mine, so that made me ask the question. How many others don't treat their hair. Why have we a situation where we are getting repeated infections in school. What can we do about it. Because I'm fed up, we clear the nits, they come back. We clear then they come back. Then someone in a position of authority makes statement that she just combs and lives with it. And it irked me

That's got nothing to do with wanting the woman sacked!

I'm also not advocating forcing her to do anything, but I am fed up this problem is not being addressed (head on)

I agree about nitty gritty, we also used lots of coconut oil with drops of tea tree oil and problem gone instantly

I think it's lovely that she's cuddling your child so I get why you're angry with nits but find a good natural treatment that works and pass it on to her. You don't want to lose that relationship that's so much needed for your kid