Lice. Ewwww.
I can't imagine there is a being out there that doesn't have at least the slightest of shudders when thoughts turn to lice.
As a parent, it's definitely something you hope never to hear, or see. Not only the whole lice stigma (people still believe it's from being 'dirty') but the WORK involved in getting rid of the nasty little creatures.
Unfortunately, it's a fact of life. If your kids are in contact with other kids, then there is always a chance that they will, at some point, end up with head lice.
So far so good. No phone calls from school, no itchy heads but a friend of mine wasn't so fortunate and by the time it was discovered, 3 out of 4 kids were carting the little critters around.
Days of shampooing and 'nit picking', washing every bedsheets, every item of clothing later she was finally rid of them but not before becoming frazzled and frustrated.
I read somewhere that there are people that are using the special lice shampoo as a preventative measure. Perhaps they think that by using it once a week or once a month or whatever it is they do, they will never have to deal with the days of laundry and the dreaded phone call.
Unfortunately, this doesn't appear to be the case. We are now faced with Super Lice that are resistant to the chemicals used today. Perhaps it is after years of using weaker treatments than were used 20 years ago, perhaps it is compounded by people over using the products - who knows? The point is that it's possible to get a case of head lice that wont go away!
So I guess the key is prevention and diligence. Keeping an eye out for the little critters and catching on before there is an 'infestation', promoting head checks in schools and helping out when they are available (to keep the program running), education - don't share hats etc., for the kids, oh, and I heard that using tee tree oil shampoo, or just rubbing a little in the hair will keep them away. But I'm no expert on the topic.
I found a great page on the web - how to get rid of head lice that gives all the information you need to know on how to get rid of head lice. (the main page is pretty handy too... how to get rid of stuff tells you how to get rid of almost anything and if they don't have it, you can request that they get it. (you've got to love interactive web sites!)
Comments
Thu, 29.04.2010 08:12
THANK YOU! My son is 5 and has been a pretty emotional child. My father-in-law passed away about a year and half ago and [...]
Thu, 11.03.2010 14:08
EVERYONE PLEASE LISTEN. Now that I have your attention. My 2nd grader is currently being bullied by his teacher. [...]
Wed, 17.02.2010 09:05
I know you posted this forever ago, but if you're still out there I would love to here how things turned out, if the [...]
Wed, 10.02.2010 18:47
if teachers were paid an appropriate salary for the level of education and effort required, you could get rid of these [...]
Wed, 16.12.2009 07:53
I have a 7 yr old step daughter that comes from a mother who has alot a mental health issues, tho my daughter seems to [...]
Tue, 27.10.2009 10:48
Child Behavior Modification is so tough. There are moments that yelling at them is not enough. Tantrums in toddlers [...]
Thu, 17.09.2009 16:26
I appreciate your sharing of this situation and applaud your directness with the principle that your goal is to remove [...]
Sat, 29.08.2009 17:03
Hi there, I am totally with you with the no spanking. I was telling my mum the other day about my 2.4yr old son hitting [...]
Mon, 06.04.2009 20:06
My seven year old son cries alot. I can completly relate with the parent. It is something you worry about when [...]
Tue, 24.02.2009 16:31
This is great stuff! My husband and I were wondering what was happenig to our son who just turned 7. He was very tough [...]
Sat, 03.01.2009 23:49
Thanks for the article, It was important to hear the part about not bottling up emotions otherwise later in life, that [...]
Wed, 24.12.2008 00:11
my two year old daughter cries all the time and i don't know what is wrong.she gets up at night and scamming and then [...]
Wed, 12.11.2008 21:10
I did this one time, my kids had slept over at a friend's house and were up 'til all hours and super crabby the next [...]
Sat, 04.10.2008 18:55
We are in a similar situation. I am curious what the outcome was?
Fri, 11.07.2008 11:54
Parenting Advice: Find Parenting Resources on Websites All parents want to be the best parent we can be for our [...]