Kids, Friendships and Head Lice...

andrealm

FBaby wrote: »

Had to laugh at this, if this is poor parenting, I wonder what many other common parenting lackings are.... Personally, I would prefer my kids to be looked after by a mum who might spend the day taking them to the park, playing with them, and teaching them new skills even if they come back with some little bugs in their heads at the end of the day than a mum who will spent all morning treating their hair and the afternoon putting them in front of the TV, but I guess we are all different in what we consider good/bad parenting!

How do you know she's going to take them in the park and teach them new skills? Seems unlikely if she can't be bothered to treat their hair for headline.

I'd rather see a child watching TV than being left with nits when they could be treated. A couple of hours in front of the TV won't hurt anyone but being left with nits must be uncomfortable for the poor girl and it's affecting her friendships. The OP is questioning whether to let her dd have a sleepover because of them.

balletshoes

I don't think anyone's suggesting you do the nit comb and conditioner every night once you've got rid of the headlice - I certainly never did. I did it once a week in the licey years when my DD was clear of them, but definitely more often if the letters were coming home from school, and every night until they were gone if she had them.

Thing is, if a parent just doesn't bother to clear the lice in their kids' heads, they're never going to go away, it must be pretty miserable for a kid to always be scratching their heads (as I'm now doing, as I'm writing this ).

picnmix

I use Vosene repellent shampoo on both my DD, have been using this for about 18 months after a period of getting them and denitting, getting them again, it went on and on, since have been using this have not had them. I know they are always around but this seems to work for my little one's, maybe give it a try OP and the critters may stay away from your DD hair.

I remember at school Nitty Nora coming and if you had head lice you were sent home, I never had them and remember when I realised my DD had them, I was abosolutely mortified, practically went in disguise to the chemist! It was only following this that I realised that they are far more of a common problem now than years ago.

aliasojo

FBaby wrote: »

Well I would be one of the parents you judge wrongly then.

I made a suggestion showing the alternative view to the scenario you described. How is that judging?

You do seem rather defensive about this subject, if you don't mind me saying. There was really no need to describe how good your children are. I'm sure you're a very good Mum. I just don't happen to agree with the examples of parenting you gave in your post.

neverdespairgirl

balletshoes wrote: »

Thing is, if a parent just doesn't bother to clear the lice in their kids' heads, they're never going to go away, it must be pretty miserable for a kid to always be scratching their heads (as I'm now doing, as I'm writing this ).

It might be (like me) not thinking of that until infant started scratching madly.

I too am scratching madly now, though, at the very thought!

picnmix

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

I'd just tell her.

DS is 6, and has had them once. I think he must have had them a little while before I noticed, because it didn't occur to me that he might! I'd not have minded at all if someone else had mentioned it.

Your post made me feel a whole lot better, as I had never come across the little critters it didn't occur to me that DD had them, by the time I realised she was itching like a maniac and they were huge - I felt terrible, it added a whole new layer of guilt to my parenting guilt cake:o

pinkcandyflossprincess

I find an honest approach best, my exs nephews and neices were always riddled with them, i told the parents direct that i had noticed lice in their hair (was that bad!) and i didnt mind going through their hair, my eldest has long blonde hair so wouldnt want them in hers as a nightmare to get out of it so i made a condition that if they stopped over i went through for lice..doing my own kids too of course so kids didnt feel like i was picking on them particulary. my ex sil didnt mind and used to send them round for a nit check all the time:rotfl:

Threebabes

I would tell her. If my girls had them I would rather know. When my youngest DD has had them I let everyone know. Then if she doesnt do anything about them I would stop them playing together. They are a pain in the backside so would do everything I could to stop my kids catching them.

neverdespairgirl

picnmix wrote: »

Your post made me feel a whole lot better, as I had never come across the little critters it didn't occur to me that DD had them, by the time I realised she was itching like a maniac and they were huge - I felt terrible, it added a whole new layer of guilt to my parenting guilt cake:o

The only time I ever had them was when I was 19, in India. So it didn't really occur to me until DS was scratching up a storm.

My Granny used to say that "a mother's place is in the wrong". Don't feel guilty about it. Headlice are a pain, not a mark of Cain!

milliebear00001

mrcow wrote: »

lol I wasn't implying it was a "lower class" problem.

Only querying if it really was "part of growing up" for kids these days. I don't think they are as widespread as that.

I've never seen a child with nits, either as friends and family or in my job (although that is with children over 11, so a little older.). Some of my friends' children have had them, but they were banished quite quickly, and certainly weren't recurring. If there are any in my children's primary school, we get a note home to keep a look out - so I wouldn't consider that having them is necessarily the "norm"? The school wouldn't do that if everyone had them.

I have wondered about this too. I am a primary school teacher - one case last year, none this year. I have seen moving lice on children in previous schools though.

I have two kids - seven and four - neither have ever had them. I remember having the nit nurse at school, but I never had nits (nor as an adult working in a school) neither did my brother. My husband has never had them either (although his brother had them once). Perhaps there's a reason some people don't seem to get them? A bit like mosquito bites?!