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!)

As The Girl approaches Junior Kindergarten I'm facing a decision I didn't have to make with Pie and Dervish.

Should I vaccinate for chicken pox?

On the one hand, most people I know have had chicken pox and survived the same as the rest of us. Up until a few years ago when the chicken pox vaccine became available, it was considered to be one of those things you got as a child. Chicken pox, almost a right of passage!

People even have, or had (I'm sure it's still going on now) chicken pox parties. If you've never heard of a 'chicken pox party', the idea is that when a child you know from school or the neighbourhood contracts chicken pox, you arrange a nice long play date with your child who has never had it and the infected child so that essentially you are 'planning illness'.

This is all well and good, I can understand planning this if you can because it's certainly would be nice to know in advance when your child will be sick - and planning it for the summer is nice (I suppose) because then there is no lost time from school.

The downside is that there are potential complications!

According to this medical conditions information site, in the list of chicken pox symptoms, complications can be;

Complications

• Bacterial infection of the cutaneous lesions are the commonest
• Viral pneumonia is uncommon in adults and rare in children
• Rare complications include thrombocytopenia, acute cerebellitis, meningoencephalitis and purpura fulminans
• Death is rare except in the immunocompromised and neonates with congenital varicella

Ya, ok, so I should have a party to let my child get chicken pox! or... I could have her vaccinated so she doesn't get them. Decisions decisions!

The last time I asked our doctor about the vaccine he was on the fence about it. I haven't checked lately to see what his view is now but I will before I make a decision.

For now I'm weighing in on having her vaccinated.

My reasons are;

• She has exema (said to be a factor increasing the chance of complications)
• The dad has shingles (an after effect of getting chicken pox for some people, very painful and annoying to have) and if she never gets chicken pox she'll never get shingles
• I've met the Dervish with Chicken pox - I have no desire to replay that with The Girl

• Intense children are no picnic when they are sick!!

So, while I will consult the doctor, I think he'll have to have some pretty convincing arguments if I'm to decide against vaccinating The Girl. There are some things you'd love to do again as a parent, there are other things, like chicken pox, ... well... not so much.