Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To change pre school due to headlice?

89 replies

Sparrowlegs248 · 07/09/2019 19:26

Dc has been back at pre school for half a day this week and has come home with lice. We had quite a big problem last year with them, I spent a fortune on treatments, treated everyone weekly, bedding, brushes, hats etc. Literally every time he came home, he had big lice on his head. Is it this bad everywhere? Or are we unlucky?

OP posts:
dontcallmeduck · 07/09/2019 19:29

Neither of mine had them pre-school, we’ve now gone through 4 years of school in total with only one lot of headline. Most likely there’s a child there who’s parents aren’t treating, not a lot nursery can do about it unfortunately.

Original poster
Sparrowlegs248 · 07/09/2019 19:29

Yes, i think youre rigjt but i do think the staff should sebd the usual letter out to everyone. This didn't happen at all last year.

OP posts:
Doyoumind · 07/09/2019 19:31

I don't think it's worth changing if everything else is good. Just use a nit comb every morning and night if his hair is short and easy. I did that for a while.

SistersOfMerci · 07/09/2019 19:33

You wait until they get to primary. It can be a merry go round daily of lice.

Don't bother changing if you're otherwise happy lice tend to be part of childhood schooling.

Curious2468 · 07/09/2019 19:34

If they have multiple lice and it’s less than a week since term started then your child had them before nursery sorry.

Mrsjayy · 07/09/2019 19:38

You dont need to chemically treat all the time nit combing every night for
2 weeks should be enough to get rid. I dont think you should move thrm because of it saying that I don't think headlice breakouts are taken seriously in the Uk in other countries it is a public health concern.

Aprillygirl · 07/09/2019 19:40

I agree with @Curious. Have you informed the pre school?

Original poster
Sparrowlegs248 · 07/09/2019 19:41

@Curious2468 he definitely didn't, they are so easy to spot and I have an absolute hatred of them, so check frequently. He was scratching as we got home. He had 2 large lice. No small ones. He's clearly picked them up from another child. I feel so sorry for whichever child it is, it must be awful.

OP posts:
Original poster
Sparrowlegs248 · 07/09/2019 19:41

Oh and none on the other child.

OP posts:
Original poster
Sparrowlegs248 · 07/09/2019 19:44

And yes to informing pre school. They haven't told any if other parents, again.

I didn't have lice at all as a child. My much older sibling did, once, before I was born. I don't know if we were just lucky!

OP posts:
Original poster
Sparrowlegs248 · 07/09/2019 19:45

@Mrsjayy I did comb too, but took to treating when I thought I wasn't getting rid of them. It took me a while to cotton on that he was picking more up every time he went.

OP posts:
Ragwort · 07/09/2019 19:46

I think all schools get lice Sad. We used to get the 'nit letter' sent home nearly every week, thankfully my DS never got them, maybe as he always had very short hair? Why don't secondary schools have the nit problem?

Soubriquet · 07/09/2019 19:47

I’ve been lucky so far

I’ve got two children. Both were in pre-school, dd has now started year 2 and ds is in reception and neither of them have had head lice or worms

Singleandproud · 07/09/2019 19:47

You don’t need to spend a ton of money, just buy a nitty gritty comb £10 and a ton of cheap conditioner. DD has a bath / shower everyday and when she was small I would just put the comb through and it gets lice and eggs. If you spend 2 minutes everyday as part of your normal routine its not an issue.

Doyoumind · 07/09/2019 19:48

We don't seem to have a problem in our primary, though nursery was bad. They spread when children are in very close contact and I think it decreases as they get older and have more personal space.

Soubriquet · 07/09/2019 19:48

I was terrible for them when I was a kid

I remember sitting down with my Nan doing it every week at one point

Fell out with one friend, and never got them again

RubbingHimSweetly · 07/09/2019 19:48

Could you use tea tree or put gel in his hair to deter the lice? I wouldn't change if everything else was good. Maybe ask for a quick chat with the teacher and ask if a letter can go home to everyone with good hygiene and prevention highlighted?

Singleandproud · 07/09/2019 19:49

Secondary schools don’t have as much of a nit problem as students don’t tend to put their heads close together as much as primary school, other than kissing / taking group selfies I guess.

I have seen them on a student before and their pastoral team member just rang home I think.

MyNameIsIrrelevant · 07/09/2019 19:49

Oh god, I'm dreading my kids catching them! 🤢 I'm really going to struggle with it!
Fortunately atm my eldest has his hair cut to a number 0 (his choice!) so he can't really get any and my baby girls have no hair yet.

I wouldn't change nurseries though, it's the parents who are the problem surely?
I would maybe cut their hair short as you can get away with and use nit combs daily.

Original poster
Sparrowlegs248 · 07/09/2019 19:50

Are there any preventative measures that work? Like tea tree spray for example?

OP posts:
MyNameIsIrrelevant · 07/09/2019 19:52

Vosene spray is supposed to be good, I do use that when eldests hair gets longer.

TwinPair · 07/09/2019 19:53

I keep DS's hair very short (blade 2) to limit the possibility of headlice.

MyNameIsIrrelevant · 07/09/2019 19:53

This one

To change pre school due to headlice?
Mummyoflittledragon · 07/09/2019 20:01

I wouldn’t change if this is the feeder for your ds’s school.

marvellousnightforamooncup · 07/09/2019 20:04

Just nitty gritty comb every night after a bath.