If you have school-aged children, then you have likely been exposed to the issue of lice. Maybe there’s a notice from the nurse’s office about an outbreak in a particular classroom or grade. Perhaps there are random head checks. Or you might be one of the lucky ones to get a phone call asking you to take your child home from school.
I was on the receiving end of one of those phone calls.
I admit, and certainly now realize that others are/were on the same page — I think lice are icky. When I was school-aged, I always naively thought they were a sign of poor hygiene or someimagined social stigma. We didn’t hear much about lice then, although I’m sure they were around. But when we did, it was the kiss of death for that kid, branded for a long, long time.
In each of the four school years we’ve been here, there has been at least one school notice with a lice warning. Facts were very direct — check your child’s head, realize that this is common, and here’s what you need to do. There was no negativity at all; still, as a parent you fretted over dealing with it and how your child might be perceived.
Our first experience with lice wasn’t pleasant, and my ignorance made it even less so. We took care to follow directions precisely, and we spent a very long time ridding every single nit in the hair. While my daughter was a little embarrassed at first, after discovering others in her class with the same issue, she felt better – and so did I. A second outbreak was more of an inconvenience, and a “Why is this happening again?” aggravation.
It was during this second time that my family’s eyes were opened to bigger lessons regarding head lice, without shame or any of the “ick” factor. The administration and nurse’s offices not only sent information home, but they gave students a factsheet that made even my own pre-tween feel better. In a combination of sources (listed below), here are some surprising facts about lice – did you know any of them?
*Head lice are not a sign of uncleanliness; they love clean hair because it is easier to latch on to.
*Lice do not hop, jump or fly; the only way they can get from one person to another is by direct touching, head-to-head.
*Schools are not the most common places where head lice are spread. Sleep-overs among friends are thought to be a common way they are passed from home to home.
*Hats and coats touching are not a source of lice. Lice found on these items are dying and cannot reproduce. Lice can only survive and thrive on the human head (they are not passed on to pets, either).
*When found, most cases of head lice are already more than a month old (this is because they begin as eggs, or nits, which hatch after 7-10 days, and lice reach maturity after 10-14 days). One sign of lice is a red itchy rash on the back of the neck, just below the hair line.
*Because nits are the problem (not removing them means a cycle of re-hatching), hair must be combed out thoroughly for about three weeks to make sure they are gone.
Medicated lice shampoo can be over-used, resulting in lice becoming resistant to the product. Because it is a pesticide, it’s important not to over-use it (for example, as prevention). Those preferring a more natural method for removal can try saturating the scalp with olive oil to suffocate the lice. However, this does not remove the nits, which is the cause for re-occurrence. Other non-proven natural remedies to rid lice include using vinegar, real mayonnaise, and Dawn Dish soap on the scalp.
You might consider checking out how your school addresses head lice. It’s more common than you might realize, and it’s important to see how your child is treated. I give kudos to our teachers and nurses, who have been nothing but open and positive with the kids. They have discussions about the facts, they do not tolerate any teasing whatsoever, and they make the children feel safe, as they all should feel.
I’m over my distress with head lice now, and I realize it’s because I’m now one of “them” who has had to deal with it. Had I not been, then perhaps I would still feel the same way, as many of you may. The most important point for me, though, was to remember that my daughter doesn’t need to feel ashamed. Any education provided to her – through the nurse’s office, or through my approach and reaction to it all – needed to override the possible negative self-esteem issues that might arise. She’s even become much more empathetic to others who deal with the same issue, which in itself is a good lesson to learn. Maybe icky turned out to be a positive thing after all.
For more information on lice and possible treatments, as well as the “21 Facts,” visit any of these websites:
Harvard School of Public Health (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/headlice.html);American Academy of Pediatrics (http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/pediatrics;110/3/638.pdf); Centers for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/headlice/factsht_head_lice_treating.htm);http://www.snp.homestead.com/lice21.html; http://www.licelogic.com/products.html; http://www.headliceinfo.com/whatup_controversies.htm
