To think schools should take nits more seriously?

[Eurydice84]

Since January I have had to treat DD (and the rest of the family) for head lice several times. We follow all the recommended steps, wash bedding and clothing, and repeat the treatment after one week. The buggers seem to go away but then they're back again. It's likely that they're going around the school, and it only takes one kid to pass them on to the others. I am at my wits' end, it's impossible to coordinate 50 parents to treat at the same time, and the school doesn't allow absences for head lice. They don't seem to care at all, honestly. I have spent so much time and money trying to get rid of the problem, but there is no point if the school doesn't make it a priority as well. I also think head lice treatment should be subsidised, it's terribly expensive (£10 a bottle, and we need at least two for each treatment). AIBU?

DM is unable to wash but refuses to let others help her. Shes 88 and has osteoporosis My niece lives there and works in a school for SEN children and caught head lice off one of the kids. Apparently the child has had it for ages and the reason is the parents cant keep on top of it because he and his brothers and sisters keep passing it to each other. 🙄 Dreading DM catching it because she will just refuse to be touched. Cant wash properly but refuses help.

I'm surprised they get away with that. Even the NHS website says you don't need to keep a child off school with nits

I work with children as a nurse and we have some regular patients who always have nits at every admission, which we have to treat. Every time 🤔

Bits are just part of life!

Definitely not worthy of keeping kids off school

Well yes @CaptainMyCaptain it does seem to, apologies if my post was a bit garbled with auto correct. I understand perfect well how nits work thank you very much. What I don’t understand is what it is about school in particular, because in 3 years of daycare for both kids, no nits, not mentioned by any other parents, nothing on the nursery whats app groups, then bam you get to school and the fuckers are everywhere. And they play very much on the same way at day care!

Well I can assure you the teachers hate them as much as you do.

Maybe the nursery staff are allowed to check for headlice and have the time to do it. Maybe you were just lucky.

DC had nits end of autumn term. Only change was DC hair wasn't being braided that term. I let closest friends know and let school know via email. Then conditioned every 2 days and used the treatment twice. Everyone else in the house treated. Took 10 days in total. Hair now washed with tea tree shampoo and conditioner. Tied back and braided for school. I had no response from school office and parents were grateful for the heads up. I did what I thought was right and a lot of laundry those 10 days...

What a load of rubbish OP! The treatment only kills live ones anyway- so don’t use it.
Get a nitty gritty comb and use that.
it could be that you aren’t actually getting rid of all the eggs on your kid’s hair… so they keep coming back.
Are you keeping YOUR children at home when you find nits??
And are you making sure you tie your kids hair back for school?

Oh yes they should. It a never ending war. So tired of it! It never seems to pass.
It wasn't an issue with our oldest but our youngst it is.

It is the same pupils in my daughter's class left untreated by parents. It's a shame really also for the kids. School should inform Social Service and be able to send children home if they have lice day after day not treated.

@Eurydice84

Which countries?

Denmark and Germany don't care. At all. It's as bad as UK with lice.

@Kitkat1523

You do now.

Anyway cheap conditioner and comb work just as well.

@DragonFly98

It was. You pay now and I don't mind. Cheap conditioner and combing is not expensive and do the job.

In a distant utopia, yes
We cannot get enough qualified nurses to care for sick people, let alone do a parent's job as a full-time post

So in an education system that can't provide basic education to children with SEN. You want money to hire someone to do something that parents should do?

Okay then.

With respect if your child getting them repeatedly then they are not being cleared properly or the product you are using isn't working. Are you nitty gritty combing everyday with conditioner for over three weeks to catch the eggs?

Also it's not like anyone actually died of nits!

Have you tried using leave in conditioner? Nits can’t stick to slippery hair.

Treatments are a waste of money, conditioner and a 99p comb work just as well. Twice a week in the bath for about 10 years. Even when clear it is a good routine to get into and preempts the little buggers getting comfy. Dc can do their own hair as well.

Honestly no I don't think school should do more. Schools are struggling to have enough staff to actually teach the kids.

Same with nurses - we don't have enough in hospitals so no I don't think we should be sending them into the community to look at kids hair.

Parents however. That's who need to take some responsibility! The treatment will be free under the minor ailments scheme for those who can't afford it. Ask your local pharmacy about this.

My final teaching practice, way back in 1973, was in a school on an estate known to house many 'problem' families. (it was the school that no-one wanted to get for their TP. ). The 'nit' nurse came on day one. I found thst she came regularly. Children with nits were excluded. They came back in dribs and drabs but then they were checked again. There were children that missed weeks of school. One little girl in my class was in school for only 4 days during a 10 week practice. That was wrong. These children were already disadvantaged and they weren't even getting a decent primary education.
(The rumour mill was also wrong. I really enjoyed my TP. It was exhausting but the children, once engaged, were so receptive. )

Our school has a policy that anyone with hair that is long enough to tie back does so. Also, any children with nits parents must inform the school immediately and stay home until treated. They have an excellent record for minimal nit outbreaks. Dd has been there since September, and there hasn't been a single outbreak.

I don't know about dying but they are parasites and long term can affect health. It's where the expression 'feeling lousy" comes from.

Maybe a bit over the top but they don't seem to have the same nit problems as we do here

Regarding this and a following post you are acting like lice is some of control problem in the UK. It's really not in my experience. My children have never had them and ones a teen, I've never really heard about any of my friends children having them. Think I had them once or twice as a child.

And agree with pp regarding the expensive treatments, conditioner comb and tea tree are the most effective.

I think the problem is your school might just have a couple.of children whose parents don't seem to be doing anything about it, which is sad.

Nitty Gritty comb and wet hair are by far the best way to get rid of them. The eggs have to be combed out properly.
Just found that DD has bloody nits again, so combed last night and will do so every 2/3 days for a few weeks.

This attitude is why it spreads.

Hardly. I've always treated any case and made sure they're gone. But I'm not going to expect children to miss school, or for schools to fund a nit nurse, or ask the NHS to fund not treatment. It's not life threatening and is easily dealt with.

It's not always the fault of "that one kid" or their parents

"That one kid" might have a sibling that goes to a different school or nursery that has a problem and is always bringing them into the house and spreading them around.

It's really kinda impossible for the school to police it and it's sadly just one of those things. Keep on top of it and keep long hair tied back out of the way.