Nits (head lice) how common in UK schools

It seems to be common in the school my children go to unfortunately. The first time I discovered my son had them I cried, but that's because I honestly didn't know what they were at the time as I'd never seen them before in my life.    So now it is simply apart of my children's rountine where I nit comb their hair every night and use teatree conditioner as well just to prevent them. It's not the kid's fault, it's the parents who are not doing anything about them once their child has them and that is what makes me angry.  

My youngest sister has picked them up a couple times at school, and treating her hair is a nightmare, because it's so thick and curly.

What my stepmom does, rather than using medicated shampoo, is just completely saturate the girl's head with mayonnaise, and have her sit with it up under a plastic shower cap for a few hours.  Apparently, this suffocates any live bugs, and the oil loosens up the nits so that they comb out much more easily.

As for the whole clean/dirty hair preference, what I have heard is that they don't like hair with styling products in it.  No idea if that's true, but what some people have mentioned about lavender or tea tree oil being repellents makes a lot of sense.

I caught lice at school when I was about 8 and my clearest memory is one time thinking to myself, "I wonder if my head will ever stop being itchy."  Now it just sounds really melodramatic, but at the time I couldn't remember what it felt like to have a non-itchy head.

For that reason I think Little_Evo's suggestion of tea tree oil conditioner is brilliant.  It's really tough to keep lice under control for kids who don't live with you all the time, and whether it's their mum not taking enough precautions or their schoolmates' parents they really shouldn't have to suffer because of it.  And since it's virtually impossible to fine-comb your own hair for lice, getting them bottles of tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner is something easy that they can use on themselves.

I work in a school and it's always the dirty children that carry the nits.. we had a meeting about it as the TAs were getting fed up getting infected and evidently, we're not allowed to look in a child's hair if we suspect anything as it's invading their personal space....   One teacher did insist on telling a parent in person, rather than waiting to hand out a subtle letter as she could see the nits crawling on his neck

when we were in grade school (early '80s), the school nurse would conduct inspections of each class every so often (probably when they became aware of an outbreak). she'd make you sit on a chair and stand behind you going through your hair with toothpicks. in front of the entire class.

i'm terrified of the beastie getting lice. enough so that i might just home-school her. our neighbours' kids had it several months ago and i was ready to move...i wonder if this is related to my ocd at all...

i'm terrified of the beastie getting lice. enough so that i might just home-school her. our neighbours' kids had it several months ago and i was ready to move...i wonder if this is related to my ocd at all...

I am sure it is. Nits and head lice are a very minor thing, probably less dangerous to a child's health and wellbeing than getting a cold or being pricked by a (clean) pin. Much worse for a child is misguided and harmful overprotection. I really believe this. I have personal experience; my mother was incredibly obsessive about "germs", which she believed were everywhere waiting to kill me. Tuberculosis, diphtheria, rickets (yes I know) smallpox, you name it.

I know that opinions differ about home schooling, but I put forward as my own opinion -- no more -- that unless great care is taken, and even so, and with the best will in the world, school is better. In any case, a big decision such as opting for home schooling should be taken calmly and after careful consideration and in the belief that one is making the best decision overall for the child, not just because you are scared they'll catch nits.

I have made the above remarks with the best of intentions, and do not intend to cause any offence, but I do really sincerely believe what I have written.

I work in a school and it's always the dirty children that carry the nits.. we had a meeting about it as the TAs were getting fed up getting infected and evidently, we're not allowed to look in a child's hair if we suspect anything as it's invading their personal space....   One teacher did insist on telling a parent in person, rather than waiting to hand out a subtle letter as she could see the nits crawling on his neck

I can't believe they're not allowed to check a child’s head for lice.

That is normal practice in the US . If they see your child scratching their head all day, that child WILL be checked for lice and sent home immediately.

And you are right; it was the "dirty haired kids" spreading the lice. A mother who washes her child’s hair is going to notice if bugs are crawling around OR eggs are attached to the child’s head.

But...another problem is mothers (or fathers) with
A. bad eyesight or
B. a big old case of denial

My very own mother had both. My 2 year old niece had lice. The same time that MY kids had lice at Disneyland, I told my mother the kid had lice; she said "Oh, she has NO such thing!"

Fast forward a couple months, I take my mother to the hospital. I'm sitting in the cafeteria with 2 year old niece. (By now the lice are so big; they are as large as fleas)

I am mortified when I see a flea sized lice crawling down the kids forehead....right there in public.


See, it's been over 20 years and i'm still traumatized. lol

Ahhh what a delightful post. LOL

I'm an American and I can tell you that my kids got lice several times ,usually as soon as school started, next thing ya know...they had lice.

WE moved alot (within the states) my kids had lice in California, Colorado and Arkansas.

My kids had lice and chicken pox at the SAME time! (In California)

Once, I had just taken a greyhound bus from Arkansas to California to visit my mom. A couple days later we're at Disneyland, my kids are 4 years, 2 years and 6 months old .The two older boys are scratching their heads like crazy.....Oh imagine the joy to be at frekin' Disneyland (after spending a fortune to get in) when you discover that your kids have lice.

I bought them a tight fitting hat and carried on.

When lice arrived....we took EVERTHING washable, including rugs to the laundry mat. I once had 17 loads of laundry; we sprayed the house and even spent the night in a hotel, after treating everyone in the houses head with lice treatment.

Simply combing ones hair with the little comb will NOT get rid of a lice infestation.

My kids were all boys. I would (after the lice medicine) lay them on the kitchen table and sit there with the tiny comb and tweezers and try to remove every NIT! (Egg)
Well, all it takes is for ONE lousy nit to hatch to start the whole thing over again.

Perhaps that is why it is more prevalent in certain places.Sometimes you just can't cut corners.

My daughter had lice 2 or 3 times while she was in school (US).  In the beginning, the school would send home that "someone in your child's class has head lice" note, so we could all keep a close watch on our kids.  The last time she was exposed, the school said nothing.  We only knew it because her classmate lived in the apartment behind ours and told her. 

My daughter's first case of lice was contracted via daycare.  The daycare didn't do a facility-wide notice until the second infestation was so severe that pest control had to be called.  This was considered the best daycare in an affluent area.

I went nuts doing laundry, spraying upholstered surfaces and even the cloth interior of my car every time she caught lice. 

I went nuts doing laundry, spraying upholstered surfaces and even the cloth interior of my car every time she caught lice. 

That was pointless.

Sorry, but why do you say that is pointless when headlice can live up to 24 hours off the head and there's a possibility of it spreading this way too although we know it usually happens from head to head contact.

Sorry, but why do you say that is pointless when headlice can live up to 24 hours off the head and there's a possibility of it spreading this way too although we know it usually happens from head to head contact.

Well, basically because of the advice I saw on the American CDC (Center for Disease Control) website

http://www.cdc.gov/lice/head/treatment.html

Head lice are spread by direct contact with the hair of an infested person. Anyone who comes in head-to-head contact with someone who already has head lice is at greatest risk. Spread by contact with clothing (such as hats, scarves, coats) or other personal items (such as combs, brushes, or towels) used by an infested person is uncommon.

Head lice do not survive long if they fall off a person and cannot feed. You don't need to spend a lot of time or money on housecleaning activities.

Do not use fumigant sprays; they can be toxic if inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

Then why didn't you post that in the first place rather than just tersely posting "That was pointless." 

Then why didn't you post that in the first place rather than just tersely posting "That was pointless." 

It was thoughtless. I apologise.

It was thoughtless. I apologise.

*passes the tea*  More caffeine?  That usually fixes brains not thinking at full speed.