Lice

I have been hearing about the lice infestations sweeping through the elementary schools here for a year now from the moms at the park, but we've never had them.....yet. It seems like this little community is just a boiling pot of lice. This is the aspect of elementary school that I've been dreading the most!! And it's not just the public schools here -- all the private schools, even preschools suffer outbreaks at least twice a year.

Well, one of S&K's good friend's sister just came down with lice (or however you say that). They had to disinfect their house, do lice shampoo, combs, the works.

Is this the case elsewhere? Or are we just "special"? Any suggestions about ways to avoid getting lice? I've talked with my boys about sharing hats, headphones, helmets, etc., but they are 5.

And now I'm itchy just typing about it..... <_<

 

I keep getting the horror stories off all the other parents about the lice. Don't wash their hair, tie it up, put gel on, I don't know wot to do

My girls don't start JK until 24th September, but this is the thing I'm worrying about, isn't that crazy!!


amanda

 

Our school hasn't a lice infestation in recent years that I know of. Fortunately we've never had it in our house. I hear it's a pain to get rid of . I would make sure your children know the importance of NOT sharing hats, combs, brushes, jackets, etc.

 

Ew, I hate lice. In my teaching days whenever one of my students had it I too would get really itchy, like you just thinking about it. I always had the nurse check my hair as well.

We had an outbreak last year in my DD's K class at school and she did not get it, thank goodness. I dread the day she does.

I'm not sure if it's inevitable or not, but I would be prepared since you are hearing of lots of kids that have it. That stuff just grosses me out. Hope your boys don't get it.

 

It is easier for boys than girls. Keep hair short, and the lice aren't supposed to attach themselves to the hairs. I have seen in the past with families that have problems controling and getting rid of the lice they end up cutting the girls hair completely off to get rid of the little boogers.... Hope that this helps. I have also heard, but never had the experience (knock on wood) that mayo works when put on the hair. It is supposed to smother the lice and kill them. But you have to remember that all bedding, pillows, stuffed animals, etc. has to be washed in *hot* water and put into a sealed bag for at least 30 days. Good Luck

 

Great, I'm itchy now.

We get an out break once or twice a year too. There are actually professional "nit pickers" around here (I can think of 2 different ones) who'll do the hair as many times as needed and will also clean the house. We check the kids every week durring "high season" (sept to nov) My supervisor's daughter had a hard to clear up case a couple years ago and she is very vigilant about it comming in.

 

Ugh! I hate lice! Almost ten years ago, the on-site daycare at Russell and Curtis' school had a major problem, when all the kids threw their jackets on the floor in a pile, instead of putting them on coat hooks..... more than half of the kids got lice (including BOTH of mine ). Ugh! We shaved both their heads and put backpacks, jackets and other unwashables in plastic bags for a month. I had them sleep on clean (practically boiled ) sheets in different places in the house every night, for a week -- I was paranoid of a reinfestation. We got lucky and never saw them again.

Kelly and Kyle had a lice alert at their preschool last year, and I still kept Kelly's hair up for three or four weeks after they were sure there were no new cases. I don't think she'd be too happy if I shaved her head. :angry: Two of Kelly's friends did get the lice, and it was awful! It took forever for their mom to get rid of the lice; she ended up getting the lice, too. A specific timed mayo treatment finally did the trick. I remember how stressful it was for their family.

 

I have heard that using Tea Tree Oil Shampoo is good preventative method I guess lice don't like it and wont go in hair washed with it. I have no clue how often you need to use as preventative or any details about it, but if you do a quick search of "tea tree Oil to prevent lice" you will see a ton of info. HTH Knock on wood I have not experienced the "lice adventure"

 

We haven't had any lice outbreaks, but I too have heard that tea tree oil shampoo is good, AND using hair gel is even better. Something in the hair gel either kills the lice, or doesn't allow them to get in the hair. I am pressed for time (need to run to bus sto), but will look more into it when I get more time. Just keep reminding them that they cannot share anything for the hair. I know, it's hard. Kids this young don't listen very well (heck mine don't listen at all, lol).

 

thanks I will get some tea tree oil and shampoo. If only to make myself stop itching. Yesterday we went to a birthday party. It was a costume party and all the kids were running around switching masks. I was thinking wild thoughts like, "I need to keep my kids in our house and never let them out!" Obviously, I just need to relax and know that if we do get lice, we'll survive and I'll deal with it.

ommmmmmmmmm.....

 

Thankfully we never have experienced the lice problem either, but when there was a scare in kindergarten, I was told "hair gel" to help prevent your child getting a lice infestation. Thankfully, that was in the days when the style was short hair with the bangs "spiked" up. B&C wore hair gel to school every day for about a year. Also, teach them not to share combs/brushes or wear anyone else's hats!! Ugh, I'm crawling too. The shampoo with tea tree oil sounds good too.

 

Ellen, just found some more info here, that looks like it would be quite useful.

 

Some kids never get it. My husband never got it. But then me on the other hand... every time it was going around the school I would get it. Good luck and I hope your kids don't get it. It's a horrible thing to try and get rid of.

 

Thanks Heather I just ordered some coconut shampoo at our local health food store. I definitely prefer that smell over tea tree oil, and it's supposed to have the added bonus of being great for dry hair (which my boys have from spending so much time in the pool and ocean).

 

We got lice several years ago. My xSIL sent her 3 kids to stay with us for the summer with lice. No-one said anything to us about it for a couple weeks. We had been sharing everything! It was so hard to get rid of, my DD was 5 at the time and she'll never forget it. It took 6 weeks total for it to be gone. (there were 7 people in the house with it, 4 long hair girls) After that I have been so vigilant whenever an alert comes (even before it as you can expect it as soon as school starts). I always had her hair tied tightly back in a bun, she hated it but knew it needed to be done. she developed a helthy fear of lice! Lots of pps have said about not sharing combs, hats etc. but make sure the kids don't have head to head contact (reading a book together or looking at something closely. )
I would suggest trying to instill the fear of it!!
Good luck keeping them away!

 

My SD's school had a horrible problem with it when she was in 2nd grade I even got it 3 months after I had my boys...it was horrible! I swear every month there was a letter in her schoolbag about an outbreak and I kid you not it was a whole school year of h---. Now she is in 4th and (knock on wood) I have a routine when school starts that I check her hair everynight before a shower and I remind her everyday to keep your head away and do not share personal items. (hugging your girlfriends, sharing hairties/hats, etc) I also ask her if her head has been itching because she does get dandruff and she uses Denorox a few times a month throughout the schoolyear which I was told helps to keep them away. I think it is harder when they are younger because they aren't old enough to be wary of things like not hanging their coats over another child's, not sharing hats etc. Now my SD knows not to get so close to others. Try and keep her hair shorter or up everyday except for things like school pictures.

 

We had a horrible outbreak when my oldest daughter was in grade 1. Tea trea oil shampoo is supposed to help, also keep their hair pulled back in ponytails or, even better, in braids. They are much less likely to get their hair up against another kid's if it's kept pulled back (lice cannot jump or fly so it is head to head contact that you have to worry about). Also, I don't know what your kids do with their jackets at school, but I started getting mine to put them on the back of their chair or in their backpack so that they weren't hanging them right next to someone else's . Also, remember that lice actually prefer clean hair to dirty hair (not what we always think but it's true) so if you keep gel and/or hairspray in their hair it helps prevent them from getting them as well. Good luck, I hate lice season!!! :bad:

 

Ugh! We just got a lice alert. <_< Looks like Kelly's hair will be up for awhile.

 

The boys have never had lice but I had it once when I had a roommate with a small child...the roommates niece and nephew had it and we didn't know and we all got it. My roommate had to actually cut part of my hair, the underneath part at the nape of my neck to get it out of my hair. It was so gross! But, I learned then that lice don't like dirty hair, they prefer clean hair and that most African-Americans do not get lice...because they don't wash their hair as often as we do. And, since the boys are mixed, I only have them wash their hair like once a week (more if they've gotten really sweaty and dirty while playing).

 

I was reading in a family magazine today (Whats Up Kids) that if you run a straightening iron over the hair it'll kill the eggs. I suppose its worth a try (of course it depends on having hair long enought for a straightening iron and/or if you have kids who'd look good with the straight look)

 

it's pretty inevitable unfortunately. Even if you don't think your school had it last year or whatever, they did! LOL! They don't tell the whole school, just send home notes w/ the class it's found in usually.
One thing lice hates is hair products, I know most of the teacher's at school actually put hair spray or gel in their kids hair everyday to help prevent it.
If you see your child scratching their heads at teh nape and behind their ears, check them.
Lastly, don't freak, it's VERY common.

 

I think the only person I know who ever got lice is one of DH's sisters when she was in grade school many years ago. Other than that, of both sides of the family, I think we've all avoided it (knock on wood!!).

 

EWE Yuck, My oldest daughter ended up getting it a few years back and I will tell you it was AWEFUL!! It took me forever to finally get it all out and we are not dirty or anything like that. Anyone can get it I ended up having to take her to the doctor to get a percription to kill them!