To think this is a bad idea in a nursery

[Flamingo2025]

To have 4 hairbrushes on the home corner that the children share and brush their own hair and also use to the practitioners hair and they get passed around and used on all different hair. They also have hats in the dress up bit. I know it’s a nice idea but surely this is just going to pass head lice on

If a child has a gastro bug then they also touch the same door handles, flush button, taps and soap as well. Honestly nothing different to that. I would rather deal with lice than some gross virus that infects the whole family.

If they have headlice, they are going to spread through the fact that nursery age children hug each other and tumble around together touching heads all the time. Sharing brushes is the least of your problems.

Kids are dirt birds. Doesn't matter about brush. If they have lice it will rip through room anyway.

Honestly wouldn’t bother me!
They pick up so many germs and bugs in other ways.

No I agree they shouldn't do that, headline are horrible and the bloody process to get rid of them is worse! It's not true that if one kid gets them everyone at nursery will, if they're using the same hairbrush of course they will

This is my thinking too^ at that age its very likely regardless of the items you've mentioned.

Unless you plan on keeping your child in a bubble at home they are going to catch bugs, illness and things like lice. It’s inevitable and completely normal.

I wouldn't like it.
I know headline spread easily anyway but surely that is a surefire way to guarantee it?!

When mine were little they kids weren't allowed to share hats because of lice.

You're not serious surely? Kids will end up with viruses and bugs and gods know what because they're in a room with other kids.

Yeah I agree it's rather unpleasant. I work on a school and understand they all pass everything to each other all the time but I'd still not have this set up in a Reception classroom (and not a chance would I let the children brush my hair!).

But that doesn't mean we should encourage them all to share a snotty communal hankerchief?!

No, as a PP said they wouldn't all use the same bit of tissue to blow their nose. All using the same hair brush is just inviting the spread of head lice.

When my kid was in Lindy all the kids would play with the same toy trumpet- all of them putting their mouths there and spitting saliva 🤮 after I found that out a shared hairbrush wouldn’t bother me at all.

It’s a bit grim but nurseries are grim in general when you think of all the germs going around. That said there was never any outbreak of head lice when either of my DC were in nursery and none since they started school either. Are they not common anymore or have I just been lucky?

When DD was nursery age we always did her hair to be up and off the face to avoid food, paint, play doh etc. getting in it and so we could do hair washing only 1-2 times a week, because she hated it and sometimes we’d skip the bath altogether on a late pick up night. If her hair ended up a hanging down mess because of hairdressing corner and then it needed an unscheduled wash I really wouldn’t be impressed! Nits, I suppose are another reason to keep long hair up and not share hats/brushes. I know they spread easily because young kids can get really physically close with each other but I still don’t think that’s reason enough to actively encourage sharing hair stuff. DD is 7 now and hasn’t had them yet despite outbreaks in the class so it’s not like it’s such an inevitability that you may as well give up.

No personally I wouldn't want my child sharing heairbrushes at nursery. It's not just lice, it's fleas/scabies, all sorts of stuff they can catch. I'd prefer to minimise my chances of child bringing that home.

There's a role play place nearby with a similar set up and I agree it's unnecessary. I always cringe when DC tries to brush my hair. Even worse as loads more different children than in a nursery!

The best way of securing a bug and lice-free childhood is to stay at home! Lice are easy to get rid of, bugs and viruses not so much.

Put plastic toy brushes there that won't even go through the hair

And wash scrupulously.

Be easy to keep them clean

Yes that's a good point, we've had 8 years of long haired daughters at school or nursery so far, plus 15 of me teaching, and no cases of nits (despite knowing they've done the rounds at times). It's not inevitable and tying hair up definitely helps.