Lice!!

Leablahblah

Leablahblah

Well-known member
So we just found out that our game night is cancelled tonight because one of their kid has lice. They said that our other friends' kid also got lice after checking them (they're in the same class).

And apparently school isn't supposed to warn you anymore if there is a case of lice in the classroom and kids don't have to stay home anymore for lice. Isn't that outrageous?! Something that could be so easily prevented can now be spread to the entire community super easily if people don't follow procedures. It sickens me!

I've been spraying this Fairy Tales Rosemary Repel Daily Kids Conditioning Spray on my little kid's hair WHEN I think of it but I can't possibly be doing that all year for all 3 of my girls. That's insane!

Do you have a tip or trick to prevent lice?
 
Oh Lordy. That was THE WORST series of months in my life. Olivia has such thick hair and it was so long. After months and months of combing through her hair, we gave in and cut the length. It was heartbreaking to do it. But she and I were worn out. My sister still laughs about me talking to her in the midst of all this. I threatened to burn the house down while I sobbed. I did laundry incessantly. I bagged up anything soft and furry. At one point, both Daniel and I had them, too. UGH. We figured out that I would get Olivia clean from bugs, but she was going to gymnastics class and rolling around on the mats. When we stopped gymnastics and then combined it with the lice zapper, she was free of lice!

I tried EVERYTHING known to man, from homeopathic to chemical-laden products. What finally worked was this:



It was so satisfying to hear that little zap. It was amazing how it could get even the very little ones that I had to use a magnifying glass to see!

Hope your family stays lice free!
 
Ugh so sorry you’re dealing with that! When I worked in childcare we had a series of outbreaks through the center that couldn’t be contained because there were so many siblings throughout the classrooms.

I have no advice, it was a grueling process to clean all the soft goods in the classroom constantly and do screenings. I hope you have a better outcome!!
 
Oh no! I can't believe that the school can't warn families or make the kids stay home. It's easily so preventable with those precautions.

I don't have any advice and really hope it all clears up soon!
 
Oh no, I can't imagine your horror! I guess nothing keeps kids home any more. I've never dealt with lice, but I have had some fun with pink eye. Do kids even stay home for that?
Good luck, and I hope you find a treatment that works for you and your family ASAP.
 
As a parent, I couldn't imagine sending my kid to school knowing they are infecting anyone around them.
Awful.
 
OMG this is the worst! I can't believe schools dont have to tell you about it anymore. I think with the kids we only had to deal with it once when Katie was little little and her hair was so fine it wasn't a huge deal. I think we just used Nix? is that what it's called to get rid of it. Somehow we got the other two to adulthood without any lice incidents. I dont know about preventative. Shampoo with tea tree oil maybe? I know they don't like it, but that could be an old wives tale.

It's October so I'll share a personal horror story... in my early 20s, I got scabies from a tanning bed and it was one of the most traumatic experiences ever. Lice, but under your skin. Horrific.
 
OGM, that's really the worst.
Lice... I'm itching just reading about it.

And then there's no information from the school and the children have to stay at home. That's not acceptable.

We've always been lucky and never had to deal with lice when Luca was younger.
Unfortunately, I don't have any tips for you.

But I'll keep my fingers crossed that you'll be spared.
 
That is horrible that they don't tell you or make the kids stay home. When my youngest was in grade school, they had a lice outbreak at the school and the kids had to lug their backpacks around in trash bags pretty much the whole year. He ended up getting lice, but we were able to take care of it easily because of his short hair. Sending up prayers that you girls won't get it.
 
Oh my... that is the absolute worst... working in preschool/childcare for over 30 years I've seen, a luckily never brought it home.....
but... when our second daughter was a junior in high school... she got it from a friend while sharing a bed on a road trip to look at colleges... the friend had gotten them from the preschool class at the high school...
We checked her head everyday but when she left for her 3 day junior class trip, she found them while on the bus trip down... so we drove the 6 hours and got a hotel to treat her. Made her sleep in a plastic cap... her "friends" were so mean including the girl that gave them to her!!!


We used to put tree tea oil in all shampoo, conditioner and hair spray when ever there was an out break at school. (and all three of my girls had long hair most of the time!
 
My girls had it 2-3 years ago we got warned by school, but they don;t have to stay home because of it. We just need to threat it and keep their hair in a braid to prevent spreading. Since than I use tea tree oil where I put six drops in bottles of shampoo. Lice hates tea tree oil, so since than we never had them again.
 
Here too, children are not "isolated" if they have head lice... My son had it three times before the summer holidays, which was a real nightmare.

When I alerted the school the first time, I was told that a note would be sent out to warn the parents... but nothing was done. And when I mentioned it to the recreation center, I was told that it wasn't the first case; a little girl had been scratching her head a week earlier, but no one had been warned.
 
OMG not fun! My kid has a shaved head basically (covid cut, but ended up loving it), so hopefully not an issue. But I have said it before that if he ever got it, he would not be allowed in the house because my hair is long and thick and ugh don't need that nightmare. I had when I was a little kid from school, and it's not fun! So the boy shall remain outdoors in the event of...lol!
 
I work at an elementary school and it still blows my mind they don't send notes home about this - back in my day...we got notes, we even had lice screenings where parent volunteers (including my mom) came in the check pretty much all the kids, but we lived in a small town.

Anyways - my youngest got it the worst due to me not noticing for a bit, ack, after that - I started ONLY using shampoo with tea tree oil for the whole family. We never got it again BUT I don't know if the shampoo helped or just made me feel better. If you live by a Trader Joe's, they have a cheap but still decent feeling shampoo, I started to use it again after seeing bugs in some kids' hair in the cafeteria, gives me the heebie jeebies even talking about it, LOL.

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What I did when the school had a lice outbreak was to pull my granddaughter's hair back into a ponytail and use hairspray on it.

I can understand not making a child stay home, but the schools really need to let the parents know about lice so they can be proactive ... checking their children's hair and using hairspray.
 
Oh that's a nightmare to deal with, I remember it well! Both my daughters had them (and I got them too). Lots of combing and the specialist lice shampoo then ongoing use of tea tree shampoo and conditioner once they were clear kept them away.

I agree to keeping hair in pontytails/braids to reduce the chance of lice jumping onto nearby swishing hair.

I can't remember if the school sent out notes, but it was a small village school, only around 70 pupils, so it was common knowledge at the school gate anyway. There was no requirement to keep the children from school.
 
angels said:
Here too, children are not "isolated" if they have head lice... My son had it three times before the summer holidays, which was a real nightmare.

When I alerted the school the first time, I was told that a note would be sent out to warn the parents... but nothing was done. And when I mentioned it to the recreation center, I was told that it wasn't the first case; a little girl had been scratching her head a week earlier, but no one had been warned.
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It's infuriating! Something could be easily prevented and yet they let it happen. So maddening!

Well so far so good! I keep checking them and they are good. Knock on wood!! I'll keep using that spray and will find a tea tree oil shampoo to use.
 
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jagruti patel said:
OMG not fun! My kid has a shaved head basically (covid cut, but ended up loving it), so hopefully not an issue. But I have said it before that if he ever got it, he would not be allowed in the house because my hair is long and thick and ugh don't need that nightmare. I had when I was a little kid from school, and it's not fun! So the boy shall remain outdoors in the event of...lol!
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haha in the dog house! :p
 
Mom didn't include the part where I was out for so long (they wouldn't let me return with lice...if the school nurse saw even ONE I was sent home), that I was almost converted to a homebound learner.

I've always heard lice like clean hair. Don't wash everyday, use dry shampoo.

And yeah, my scalp feels tingly just from this thread. Trau.mat.ic.
 
Tea Tree oil
I dont buy the special shampoos I just get tea tree oil and add it to the shampoos and conditioners I already have.
I also use a spray bottle with tea tree and water mixed to help detangle my sons very long hair

a few yrs back my son got them from a girl who he let wear his hat ugh
I got a bowl coconut oil and added 20 drops tea tree oil with gloves on thoroughly rubbed it all over his scalp and then all of his hair but his hair in a shower cap and blow dryed it for a few mins then left cap on for a few hours then did a quick comb thru washed it out then another comb they were all gone
clothes and bedding just need to wash in hot water and dry on hottest setting
they cant survive heat or being smothered according to sons doctor
 
Studio Liv said:
Mom didn't include the part where I was out for so long (they wouldn't let me return with lice...if the school nurse saw even ONE I was sent home), that I was almost converted to a homebound learner.

I've always heard lice like clean hair. Don't wash everyday, use dry shampoo.

And yeah, my scalp feels tingly just from this thread. Trau.mat.ic.
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ugh Liv! How awful and traumatic for sure! I'm so sorry you had to deal with that.
 
TwistdBeauty said:
Tea Tree oil
I dont buy the special shampoos I just get tea tree oil and add it to the shampoos and conditioners I already have.
I also use a spray bottle with tea tree and water mixed to help detangle my sons very long hair

a few yrs back my son got them from a girl who he let wear his hat ugh
I got a bowl coconut oil and added 20 drops tea tree oil with gloves on thoroughly rubbed it all over his scalp and then all of his hair but his hair in a shower cap and blow dryed it for a few mins then left cap on for a few hours then did a quick comb thru washed it out then another comb they were all gone
clothes and bedding just need to wash in hot water and dry on hottest setting
they cant survive heat or being smothered according to sons doctor
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yes I think things have changed in that it might be easier to get rid of them now. My neighbor since told me that smothering them in something creamy/sticky is good, like coconut oil, and heat! Apparently you can kill bedbugs like that. Turn the heat super high in the room. Maybe it's the same for lice.
 
Ditto the tea tree oil above. I have long hair and work with children in our Primary at church. I keep tea tree oil in our shampoo and it seems to keep the lice away. I bought Tea Tree Essential oil and just put a bunch in our shampoos. I don't like it in my conditioner, but having it in my shampoo seems to work well.

We were never sent home for lice as kids. Just asked to treat it, and the nurse would check. If you still had it and it didn't appear you were treating it, the principal would get involved. But the school didn't want to lose kids over lice. I used to catch it all the time, and so did my sister, until my mom switched to adding tea tree oil to our shampoo. We had an outbreak at church, and I didn't catch it, so at least for me, tea tree oil works.
 
bestcee said:
Ditto the tea tree oil above. I have long hair and work with children in our Primary at church. I keep tea tree oil in our shampoo and it seems to keep the lice away. I bought Tea Tree Essential oil and just put a bunch in our shampoos. I don't like it in my conditioner, but having it in my shampoo seems to work well.

We were never sent home for lice as kids. Just asked to treat it, and the nurse would check. If you still had it and it didn't appear you were treating it, the principal would get involved. But the school didn't want to lose kids over lice. I used to catch it all the time, and so did my sister, until my mom switched to adding tea tree oil to our shampoo. We had an outbreak at church, and I didn't catch it, so at least for me, tea tree oil works.
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Amazing!
 
Wow Tea tree oil is amazing

wendyp said:
My girls had it 2-3 years ago we got warned by school, but they don;t have to stay home because of it. We just need to threat it and keep their hair in a braid to prevent spreading. Since than I use tea tree oil where I put six drops in bottles of shampoo. Lice hates tea tree oil, so since than we never had them again.
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Tree oil is like a wonder medicine, and especially because you don’t need a prescription. That’s stuff helps get rid of cold sores too.
 
Oh yeah. been there. done that. So. not. fun.

Sorry you are having to deal with even the threat of it. I get where schools are coming from though after having to gone through it, since like Liv mentioned it can take months to be totally free of them. BUT, we did privately tell the teacher who then sent a letter warning the other class families to be watchful of their own kids without naming her specifically. This was years ago and I know the schools here have the same 'new' policy as you mentioned since Brenna is a teacher in our district and she had mentioned it to me.

All of us in my house had them at some point before it was all over. It was several months, all of my girls had long hair for dance and after spending HOURS each evening after dance and showers checking everyone's head I could totally understand why people would just shave the head just to be done with it all.

Salt solutions, chemical treatments, tea tree oil and shampoos/conditioners. I used them all. I always kind of felt that the salt ones did the best job and were somewhat less toxic to the scalp, but who knows.

And now my head is itching. We are all still traumatized by it to some degree.
 
Haha :D I can't believe this thread is still going with all of us reliving our lice nightmares! You can tell how traumatic it is just because of how many of us have shared. I'm with everyone who says it makes me skin crawl just thinking about it! Glad your kiddoes have managed to avoid it so far Lea!
 
I've never had it and neither has my son, but I do have a lice story. One day a friend of mine showed up at my house with her son. They came in, I offered drinks, etc then casually said to her son, "why aren't you in school." She said he had lice and I was freaked out. I told her she needed to leave and she told me it wasn't a big deal and was really put out that I made her leave. To me it was a big deal. Who goes to visit people with a child who has lice? I could not imagine doing something so reckless.
 
LJSDesigns said:
I've never had it and neither has my son, but I do have a lice story. One day a friend of mine showed up at my house with her son. They came in, I offered drinks, etc then casually said to her son, "why aren't you in school." She said he had lice and I was freaked out. I told her she needed to leave and she told me it wasn't a big deal and was really put out that I made her leave. To me it was a big deal. Who goes to visit people with a child who has lice? I could not imagine doing something so reckless.
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That is so rude! It's like bringing your kid to school or other people's house with a fever or green snot coming out of his nose. ugh!
 
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