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Original poster

Headlice....my grand plan.....

97 replies

Blandmum · 26/09/2006 12:35

We should start a campain to get rid of the little bastards.

We need to get it sorted as lice seem to be getting to epidemic levels, I bet there are very few parents of school age kids who have not had to deal with these little bastards at some point.

Round one. Education. Having hedlice doesn't make you a bad person/parent/child. It does not mean that you are dirty.

Round two detection. on one day of every year health visitors should look at every primary childs head. thise with lice should have their parents notified and sent home with infomation on how to shift the little bastards. There should be no shame attached to this, it is a simple statement of fact.

two weeks later we should check again. parents who still have kids with lice should be given more help in shifting them.

Please can we have Nitty Nora back? Who will be the Jamie Oliver of the headlice world????

OP posts:
Spidermama · 28/09/2006 14:46

Apparently they cahnge colour depending on the hair they're inhabiting.

southeastastra · 28/09/2006 14:48

spidermama i have to get a microscope now! my son was strangely fascinated with them when he had them

Bozza · 28/09/2006 15:03

I am starting to feel rather complacent now. DS is 5 and in Y1 with mousy, shortish (typical little boy) hair. DD is 2, with blonde hair that I would like to grow but is taking its time. I have no equipment/lotions in and have never nit checked. Once last year we had a letter saying that there had been an incident in DS's class. We decided it was time for a hair cut and gave him a number 6. What should I be doing?

noddyholder · 28/09/2006 15:08

I love combing them out and have thought of setting up a bug busting service for parents who are too busy!Judging by ds and his friends I could make a fortune!

donnie · 28/09/2006 15:10

shaven heads is a good way of dealing with them.

Blu · 28/09/2006 20:38

NoddyHolder - if there was a parent at DS's school who was a freelance bugbuster, I would definitely have employed her! I felt most unconfident that i was doing the combing properly. In fact i wished there was a 'combing-mentor' I could call on.

noddyholder · 28/09/2006 21:55

May have to look into it then!

ladyschaefer · 29/09/2006 07:12

I agree that the Nit Nurse should be brought back, my DD's class had a problem with headlice most of the last school year. This term she was back for 2 weeks before we got the dreaded headlice letter. She seems to be totally free of them at the moment. Hopefully the parents who cant be bothered may have seen the light i can but hope.

Im 26 and when i was in school we had our heads checked regulalrly and anyone with a problem was sent home. My sister is nearly 16 and had headlice on and off for a few years despite the fact that my mum was always bugbusting. That kind of proves how long this problem has been going on, in fact it wasnt until my sister started school that i caught a proper bout nits.

Schools these days need to be doing more to eradicate the problem too as my DD's school think that sending out letters is the answer alone.

dislexicicecream · 29/09/2006 13:08

i dunno if any one alredy said this but i think the new face for nits shuld be melinda messenger ? after she was on celebrity big bro that time and admitted she had had nits from her kids, i thought that was big of her to be so open.
and yes i strongly agree on bringing the nit nurse back, im sooo fed up with trating my dd and nowing that the one kid in her class will just give them right back to her, gggrrrrrr

homesicktaffy · 29/09/2006 13:53

Our headmistress won't even notify of a case in class 'cos she says it's stygmatising! She says she's not allowed to. Which is very puzzling, 'cos all the other primary schools in the area do. So we're being lied to as well as given nits. How encouraging is that? And this from the woman who didn't notify parents that there was an outbreak of mumps at the school...[not quite angry but very miffed emoticon]

Rhubarb · 29/09/2006 13:56

I'd just like to apologise for the latest epidemic, I did tell her not to go anywhere near the other kids but would she listen?

southeastastra · 29/09/2006 14:08

how can she say it's stigmatising (or however you spell it) my son had a sore top lip and the teacher was forward in telling me that she thought it was impetigo and i had to sort it out!! (it wasn't but it did make me take him to dr superquick) can't see the difference really.

melinda mess would be great (i wonder if she'd be willing!)

joelallie · 29/09/2006 14:10

Perhaps there's just one child going round all the schools - a sort of headlice bearing version of Typhoid Mary?

Cassoulet · 29/09/2006 14:21

I don't understand why checking a child's head is a violation of their rights when the Government is talking about doing random drug tests on them.

We home schooled for all of last year and never had nits or lice. So far (touch wood) this year we've been lucky.

I do think it helps if longer-haired kids have it tied back, though.

I like the idea of everyone shaving their head; I'd be up for that!

3littlefrogs · 29/09/2006 16:15

I used to be a school nurse years and years ago, and we did check heads. Now it seems to be politically incorrect, or maybe that qualified people do less and less "hands on" stuff these days. When my dd came home one evening with a few crawling, I kept her off the next day to treat her. When I phoned the school, I was told off for keeping her home, and that it was not "policy" to keep them off for head lice!?! This was about 3 years ago.

feedmenow · 29/09/2006 16:22

I was talking to someone recently who told me that she noticed lice in her ds hair just as they got to school and that she rushed him in quickly before anyone else noticed! She treated him after school but I wonder how many other children caught the little blighters from him being there that day?????

cheltenhamgal · 30/09/2006 07:08

God, this is one of my bugbears also(no pun intended :0) I have to do my dd's hair every other day. Six months ago I had her waistlength hair cut into a graduated bob as it was taking ages to comb the hair through. I too have tried everything, even reverting to not washing her hair but the little beggars just seem to love her head ! It is always the same couple of children who are infested and they never ever have their hair tied up. I have tried complaining to the head but she just says well we can't infringe their human rights by telling the individual parents they have to notify the whole school ! what about my dd's human rights and the fact she is riddled all the time !
She went to my mums for three weeks of the school hols and was completely clear but within four days of being back was totally riddled again
sorry was a long post but it just gets me so riled arrrrrrggggggh

noseymum · 30/09/2006 13:57

What amazes me is how a parent doesn't spot that their kids have nits/lice. Don't they pay any attention to their children? And if they know about it, how can they live with themselves leaving their kids to suffer. It must make the child feel terrible.

mumeeee · 30/09/2006 19:21

I have tried several differnt things to get rid of my childrens headlice and nothing seemed to work. My youngest DD had the most problems. I tried Hedrin the last time she got them and they cleared up straight away. Do you all check your own hair when your children get them? Yuo should only treat someone if they have actually got headlice ifotherise they become imune to the treatment.

Elf1981 · 30/09/2006 23:10

My mum & Aunt had a big falling out the other week regarding nits.
Basically my cousin has had nits on and off for about five years now (she's nearly 11). I always bloody catch them. Whenever my cousin stays at my house / my sisters / my parents, we do her hair. Basically nobody at her house does it. The week before my sisters wedding, I found a nit in my hair and went ballistic. I spoke to my mum, she said she'd get some nit stuff in for my cousin & step cousin who were going to be bridesmaids. She had to do their hair the night before the wedding and they were riddled in them. My cousin hugged my mum saying thanks, and that she kept asking her mum to sort out her hair but her mum didn't.
My mum spoke to my aunt about it, explained what had happened. My Aunt said she'd "only just done her hair". so it ended up in a huge argument.
What upsets me is the fact that she'll be going to secondary school next year, and there is no forgiveness amongst kids in secondary school. I dont want her to be picked on. But she isn't capable enough of ensuring her own hair is clear of nits, she needs some help. And that's what my aunt should be doing.
I'd welcome nit nurses back in school - perhaps a letter to my aunt / a meeting with a nit nurse might give her the kick up the backside she so badly needs.

themoon66 · 01/10/2006 00:41

The primary school my two were at had no problems about excluding kids with headlice, until they were clear. Things must have changed in the last five years.

We used to have a 'whole school clear out' too. A letter would come round giving a weekend date when we all HAD to delouse our kids. Non-compliance was not an option.

I only remember 2 out breakouts of lice in all the years my two were in that school.

Panyanpickle77 · 01/10/2006 09:13

My dd's school have just sent out a letter and leaflet saying they are having a big nit problem. They have explained what to look for, how to clear them, and how to steer clear of nit lotions until the very last minute. They also expect you to sign a form confirming that you have checked your childs hair, and taken appropriate action. I was very impressed with their actions, as they seem to be being very pro-active, and non judjmental (as many still believe some of the stupid urban myths about nits!)

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