To think this child should have been kept off school (nits)?!!!

[WiseFinch]

I am a teaching assistant and have been working with early years this week. Child informs me that they had “fleas in their hair” and had to have special shampoo last night.,
My first reaction was to keep a wide berth but this is absolutely impossible with a 4 year old.

Through the course of the day, it is very clear that this child still has a raging case of nits and is itching their head - and also hanging off me every five minutes for a cuddle… This was two days ago and now my head is itching. I did not have close contact for very long and it wasn’t head to head, plus my hair was up, but I’m now absolutely paranoid I’ve got nits - and I’m sure they’ll be going around the whole class as we speak.

I am new-ish to this job and don’t have kids myself, but surely you should keep your child off until all of the nits are gone? It’s not a case of neglect here, family are well to do and are quite nice people! So I am fully prepared to be told IABU. What does everyone think???

You can’t keep a child off school for nits! Half the class would be off at times. It’s simple to treat. I like hedrin once.

No - no one keeps their children off for nits. Even if they wanted to, the school wouldn’t authorise it if you called in sick for that reason. They’d say to come in.

It depends on the shampoo, usually the parent would comb them out after the treatment but they're done after one wash, so no, not necessarily off if treated.

Wow, seriously??? That seems utterly insane to me!! So does the cycle literally just repeat through all 30 kids and then to siblings and family? This is crazy to me, sorry!!

You need a different job.

Are you from the UK? I only ask because I’ve seen this issue come up on here before, and some posters from other countries have said that there it’s absolutely the case that a child would be kept off.

The cycle will continue unless a mass email is sent out.

I have been very lucky so far, my children never picked up nits in school.

I used tea tree oil shampoo when they were in primary.

You are not going to last long in education if this worries you as much as it seems to. Wait til cold / flu / norovirus season 😂

Btw, hair straightening is a good way to keep nits out of adult hair.

Nits are constantly in school. You can’t keep off for nits. At my dcs school the class get a letter to say nits are in the class. The school aren’t even allowed to tell the parents their own child has nits so it’s a guessing game. It’s life. Nits thrive in primary school, always have, always will. Get used to it and stock up on lotion

So if you do catch head lice are you planning to call in sick?

Dds had nits and I’d spend hours treating them and combing through their long hair. It was bloody awful. As soon as I was sure the nits had gone it would go round the class again and we’d get nits again. I’m sure we had them on and off for about four months and then over the summer holidays everyone must’ve treated their kids hair and they finally went.

Why don’t you ask what the school policies are? I have never heard of a school allowing absence for nits or half the class would be off for weeks. Schools sometimes send reminders out about tidying long hair up or saying there is an outbreak. My school are not allowed not specify which class it is in those comms though.

If you have long hair I suggest you tie it back in school.

Many many moons ago when my children were small saw a parent picking nits out of her daughter's hair before sending her into school 🤢🤢🤢 i made a trip to the chemist on way home 😀

I mean I’m really not sure! It’s never gone round my school before so I didn’t know the protocol.. I don’t think I would because I’d get them treated and gone and keep my hair up and head away from the kids. But children don’t have that personal space concept do they. I just thought with nits you’d see your kid had them, comb them out so they’re all gone then that’s it! I’m clearly deluded 😂

What is the likelihood of me having caught them from this child? Is there any preventative measures I can take? Sorry I know I sound crazy but I’m getting heebie jeebies! I’ve had everything - norovirus, tonsillitis, strep, from working with the kids but never nits 😭😭

Nits don't jump or fly, so without actual head to head contact, it's almost impossible. Unless you're sharing a brush with the child or something.

Children can't spend time off school for nits. Dont be so ridiculous. Also, build your resilience.

use leave in conditioner on your hair. the nits don’t like it. Years ago you had to keep your child off school if they had nits.

In the nicest way, it’s nits. It’s easy enough to treat.

How many years ago was that then? Because I have an 18 year old and that's never been a thing.

Confused how you are a teacher assistant but not had to deal with this before? Or know that kids are still meant to come in even if they have nits.

Worked in many schools myself and no school would authorise a child being absent because of nits. Emails get sent out if there are nits circulating to inform parents they need to check hair but that’s it. No child will be sent home for having them either.

You can buy lice deterrent leave in conditioner - if I were you I would use that to slick my hair back then use hairspray on top.

Nobody keeps children off for head lice but it does still need treating - have your school sent the 'there are cases of head lice - please be aware and treat if necessary' letter out?

My reception child would never be at school if that were the case. Or my year 6.

It’s an ongoing battle for us. Every other night with the nitty gritty and conditioner for the whole family (I’d bankrupt myself if I used treatments all the time).

The nits round my way laugh in the face of tea tree oil and sprays. My hair is thick and frizzy and is fucked from the nit comb.

Me too - from Reception to Y6 - absolute nightmare.

I’m really new to the job and never worked in schools before, only nurseries, but maybe I’ve just been lucky! I don’t know the policies etc as I don’t deal with parents I’m only part time.

Get some cheap white nit combs - I saw 2 for 39p in Savers chemist this week. Never go anywhere without a nit comb.