No more missed school for lice?

BluepointToasted

What do you guys think?  This makes sense, but at the same time is still making me itchy!

 

FalconCrest

Wait, what?  Is this really a thing? 

NotSharknado

I need more info

NotSharknado

No real harm but it's the biggest pain in the ass. I'm not okay with this.

BluepointToasted

cmeon_the_water said:

Kids in our county go home with live lice (as, frankly, they should), but, nits are okay, as long as there's been treatment. Kids shouldn't miss school for a relatively harmless condition, but, fuck, getting rid of lice and nits from two very thick haired children was an ordeal I really do not want to repeat, particularly when all I wanted to do was hop up and down with my eyes squeezed shut and scream "EW EW EW EW!!!!"

DD's (it was DS's, too, when they got them) preschool has had several rounds lately, I've been on itch watch and DD has been sporting many braids and some dirtier than normal hair.

This.  I get what they are saying about it not being harmful, per se, but don't spread that shit around so more families have to deal with it!

jesuisfatiguee

Nope, not ok. I don't know why anyone would think it's a good idea to risk an entire studen body AND faculty getting infected. This isn't a federal thing, is it? I mean, this would be a policy left up to individual schools/school districts, right?

FalconCrest

I babysit and one of the little girls I babysit for came to my house with lice one day.  It was so gross and we bought about $75 worth of lice repellant.  No one else in our house got it but what a massive PITA!  Kepp your lice ridden children home until they are in the clear.

kellyrn9956

I still remember as a 5 year old sitting in the bathroom for hours while my mother picked nits out of my hair. Although not dangerous per se, it's a HUGE hassle, and an outbreak in a school or day care is even worse. How do they make sure that things like storytime carpets are lice free? They do say that they don't jump from head to head, but keeping young children from touching each others' heads, sharing hats, etc. is near impossible.

Although once I had that lice ordeal as a kid, I never touched another person's hat or brush ever again. 

RondackHiker

Yuck yuck yuck. Don't share that shit!

thebanich

Damn it. Now my head itches.

SimpleJane

They don't jump, but they sure as hell scurry around. If one kid has lice and her head touches something, like a story time carpet, and your child's head then touches it, they can get lice. Lice can live 24 hours off of your head. And as a hair dresser I've seen them literally falling out of people's hair. Gross. Keep your kids home until it's gone.

lildevil968

When DD was in DC, her DC closed down during a lice outbreak. By the regulations they had to follow, they had to close down, and sanitize the place from top to bottom.

MamatoA2010

Was there a link attached? Because I didn't see it. DD had nits this fall and was sent home from school. There is a local place that gets rid of nits and lice but its costly. Thank goodness DD didn't pass it on to me. I lucked out...

bulbasaur359

MrsButt said:

Maybe it's a Canadian thing but I remember when someone got lice at school, we would all have to line up and there would be nurses at the end of the line who would go through all of our hair to get rid of the lice and then we'd be given a prescription for special shampoo.

But this was back in 80s so maybe they just send kids home now. I'd prefer that because lice day was never a fun day.

We had something similar in the US but no prescription. They would inspect us and send those infected home for their moms to take care of. Lice is no bueno! Nope Nope Nope! Ya, harmless on maybe a medical level but not on a pita level no way in hell. Kids should stay home till no longer contagious.

my5sons

I was a school nurse a few years back, and the policy was to send kids home with live lice, but they could stay in school with nits. I thought that was crazy because obviously those nits will hatch, and then there are lice! And just because you can't find any live ones doesn't mean there aren't any! Some kids have super thick hair, or their hair color makes it difficult to see them. In any case, it sucks. I HATED checking kids heads for lice. I always felt itchy and crawly the rest of the day and I'd make my husband check my head as soon as I got home from work.

FWIW I think Rid and some of those harsh chemical lice products are worthless and toxic. There are some newer ones on the market that have much safer ingredients. Or you can go old school and put baby oil or mayo on their hair along with a shower cap and leave it on overnight. Yeah it's greasy, but it suffocates the lice, and I'd rather deal with a kid with greasy hair as opposed to bugs.

TiffanyBerry

No.  Just NO!

/scratch

my5sons

hopanka

MrsButt said:

Maybe it's a Canadian thing but I remember when someone got lice at school, we would all have to line up and there would be nurses at the end of the line who would go through all of our hair to get rid of the lice and then we'd be given a prescription for special shampoo.

But this was back in 80s so maybe they just send kids home now. I'd prefer that because lice day was never a fun day.

This is a EU thing, too. I remember lining up in front of the nurse with my whole class anytime there was an outbreak.

Monkeybabe

Lice are so fucking gross. I got lice a lot as a 2nd grader, because we had partners in P.E and mine always had lice, and we were required to stand back to back at points during class. The teacher got pissed at me when I protested, because I hurt her feelings, but fuck, I got lice repeatedly in that year and I was like 7, so no filter. I think my mom finally told them it had to stop. 

tattooedtragedy

I put tea free oil drops in my daughter's detangeling spray and have given her the cliff notes about that we use every day lice being the reason we don't share hats, brushes or hair stuff. The only time I ever had lice I was 21 and caught it from a kid I was watching it was the most awful experience and I hope my two girls never have to go through getting nits combed out of super thick curly hair.

SquishyMommy1

Lice is horrific. We dealt with it 2 years ago with all 4 of my kids. It took MONTHS to get rid of those wretched things. Finally we found Natroba which is the miracle lice killer. No more spending hours and HOURS picking nits from the hair. Natroba kills EVERYTHING and the nits just fall off on their own.

Shelovesaginger

I had lice twice as a child and it was the worst! I remember the first time I had scratched my head so bad that medication burned my scalp. All of the other kids made fun of me, it was just not good. I remember sitting outside in the sun while my mom picked those things out for hours, PITA.

JudgyMcPerfectPants

Lice is disgusting. I think if you've got bugs in your head you should probably stay home. Spend the night combing through their head and then happily send them back.

fancynewbeesly

It is actually becoming an issue at our district. Our district is a no-nit policy. However, twins have been missing A LOT of school because they can't get rid of them. (And because there is actually no state policy on it) they are allowing the kids in class. Apparently the nurse isn't allowed to check their hair the teachers have to. AND the parent is upset if the kids are isolated or separated. (It is younger elementary). You can't have your cake and eat it too. Personally as a parent in the classroom I would be livid if another child was in the class with known lice. 

JudgyMcPerfectPants

I work in preschool and I use tea tree oil conditioner as one of my prevention techniques. It's a natural repellent.