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?

There was a child in my ds class whose mother Would not treat the nits. Crawling all year round. Me and a friend each has a ds in the class and we both got the boys a shaved grade 2. Solved permanently. Obviously treat before going to hairdresser or they won’t shave it. Could you do that for your ds?

If feel your pain but the teacher IS treating for nits. She uses a comb. I am another one that has found chemical treatments ineffective. Perhaps this is your problem??? The ONLY thing that I found really effective was regular (weekly or more often) with a Nitty Gritty comb and lots of conditioner. The regular combing did make my head a bit dry and itchy though. But no nits! The comb is no good without the conditioner as the comb does not slide through the hair effectively without the lubricant. Does not matter what kind of conditioner but I always used Tea Tree and Rosemary as a belt and braces. I did once send my daughter to school with almond oil combed through her hair and loads of tea tree and rosemary and then plaited her hair and left it for 3 days. This blitzed a particularly persistent plague of lice and then I maintained with comb and conditioner. She has not had them since! Not so much a problem now she is in secondary school but we still do regular combings. Now I am scratching like mad just thinking about them.

I think the almond oil just meant the lice could not cling on to the hair, or maybe it suffocated them. Either way it worked.

Using the chemicals really isn’t the best way to get rid of nits. The combing and removing is really important and it’s just as effective to use simple hair conditioner to do it. YABU to go round accusing people like this.

The chemical solutions just don't work. The only thing that worked for me was conditioner and nit comb. But it was every night until the fuckers were gone, not once a week. My two girls both had nits off and on for almost the entire time they were at primary school. Neither of my two boys have ever had them!

And yes, nothing works, not tea tree, not nut oils...there's literally no way around the revoting job of picking them out and drowning them in the sink or a jug. They can't cling on if you put a load of conditioner in damp hair. And yes, before resorting to this we had every over the counter/prescription preparation we could. Non of it worked.

The problem with permethrin is that it's a carcinogen and it's much much less effective than it used to be 20 years ago as the nits have developed immunity. YANBU to insist the teacher treats nits but YABU to insist she uses chemicals which in any case are no longer very effective.

My nan used to wash my hair and put tee tree on it, and comb it out with one of those vibrating nit combs

Are you sure she does? I would say it's basic hygiene to use the shampoo. You could complain to the Head.

I only ever de-not mine with the nitty gritty, way more effective than shampoos as it happens.

Poor teacher. You're being really hard on her, OP.
That being said, I totally feel your frustration. It is palpable. I was in your shoes last year. It was effing relentless!!! I swear there was not a week without one of my three having nits- always brought home by DC2.

We cut her hair off. Long hair, down to her lower back. Off it went. Pixie cut! It worked a treat in that it made delousing and maintenance so much easier. I really believe that long hair makes it too hard to get the buggers out, especially if you have heaps and heaps of hair like DD does.
Her hair is down to her shoulders now. So it's grown back. She hasn't had one infestation for an entire year now. I think the year of short hair and keeping on top of it all with combing (made so much easier by having the short hair) cracked our chronic condition. It was extreme, cutting her hair off, but it worked.

Using a nit comb without conditioner doesn't work. It says as much on the packaging.

I love how the teacher is giving children nits. Because that happens. I imagine it's me giving my little darlings all scarlet fever and chickenpox at the moment

Definitely tea tree conditioner and a nitty gritty comb-through one a week.

Op she IS treating the lice - just not 'your way' with a bunch of chemicals. Apart from the harm to skin and lungs it's hugely expensive and unless every child and teacher ( if she had them which I doubt) does it on the same day- it's futile. The best method is a nitty gritty comb which wouldn't go through any but the thinnest of hair without conditioner so if you're doing it dry or without conditioner then you're using the wrong comb which is why it isn't working.
Use the plastic dry combs daily and the nitty gritty at every wash.
Much cheaper, healthier and more effective than chemicals.

I think OP is missing th point. The teacher IS treating the nit, just using the comb and not the chemical. It’s still treating them. There is obviously a child or 2 who don’t treat with comb or chemical and who are the sources. If OP thinks her child is catching from the teacher it’s possibly the other way round. I work in SEN where there’s lots of close contact with children but we’ve never had this much of an issue. In 20 years of teaching I’ve never had nots. My own 5 and 8 year olds haven’t either. I have read before though that it’s a virus which some people are more prone to than others. School should make sure all staff and children have hair tied back. I kept a box of nibbles on my desk on year when there was an issue in my class (girl who’s mum had left home and the dad managed the 5 brothers for years by shaving heads but the little girl permanently had them until many one day dad got a girlfriend and suddenly girl was sorted).

Tea tree works and a comb works and her head is probably sore. You're being ridiculous. We all have to put up on this with kids at school - get over yourself.

please see all the other comments and google the science behind combing.

Im sure working with kids that you know have them is enough to make anyone itch.
But it is true that you can get rid of them just by using any type of conditioner and a nitty gritty comb much better than using nasty chemicals repeatedly. but it only takes one child to start it off again if their parent hasn't got rid of every single egg or headlouse

DisturbinglyOrange please tell us what country! Honestly, I have had enough of this problem too (UK based), and am going to talk to the head of the school about it, would love to be able to say “why can’t we grow a pair and do what they do in xxxx country....”

By the way, I am aware that in Spain the teacher personally emails the parents and says “your child has head lice, appreciated if you could treat them promptly” and people respond to that right away and somehow seem to avoid reoccurrence, funny that...😆No messing around with Spaniards, they tell it like it is!

The teacher is NOT treating the nits if she combs weekly. It must be done thoroughly and following the instructions carefully every THREE days for at least 2 days.
The new chemicals do work @MiddleAgedMe. They work by smothering the nits. So unless people don't apply enough lotion or the lice can live without breathing then they absolutely work.

PlanetPiffle
Still teaching here - but I really relate to what you're saying.
When my own children were at primary school, we would inform the school if they had nits, treat our children and treat them again a week later. Then they'd get reinfected at school due to feckless parents who did not follow that routine. I never thought to blame the teacher, silly me!
I have what an ex referred to as 'bastard-short' hair and I never get close enough to the children I teach for our hair to touch. I have psoriasis all over my scalp, so may be guilty of the occasional furtive scratch. Did you know that stress makes psoriasis worse? :D
I'm sure plenty of teachers have psoriasis as, according to some parents, everything is our fault.

I have ound the comb to be the best - and non greasy looking hair. Just take your time and comb thoroughly. Its works a treat.

Best treatment for nits is olive oil and a nit comb. All the nits just slide out! Even better, your dc will have beautiful shiny hair after shampooing. It works a treat.

Btw, give the teacher a break. No one wants nits, it’s highly unlikely she has them all them time, but by combing with a nit comb every week, if she does have them, she is dealing with them.