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L is for Lice!

March 5, 2011

It has happened...the most dreaded part of a child attending a public school!  We received an email the other day, and my heart skipped a beat.  Oh God! No...not my child!  Please not my child!
The dreaded "lice outbreak" in my daughter's school.  Not only did we receive notice that there have been children with these little pests in their hair from her school...but an additional notice has also come from her cheerleading studio!  I might as well go to the lice store and purchase the little nits and plant them in my daughter's hair myself!
Before I continue with my story, I need to give you a little background information.  I once ran the Student Services office (think attendance, discipline, etc) in a junior high school.  I was the one in charge of calling parents when lice was discovered in the student's hair.  I had become so afraid of these little bugs...that as a precaution I would wash my hair with RID every month.  I would stand in front of the mirror for hours looking through my hair for signs of infestation!  My husband got tired of me looking through his hair for the creatures as well.  My biggest fear was that his hockey team would get lice and everyone would find out it was me who gave it to them!
I never did get lice...thank God for that.  However, I still get nervous when I feel an itch, see a flake...or hear about an outbreak!  So you can imagine how I felt when the school (and cheer squad) notice came home.
A few things I have learned about lice:

  • Head lice only live in hair and occasionally eyebrows and eyelashes.
  • Head lice can survive up to 30 days on a human. Their eggs can live for more than 2 weeks.
  • Lice on scalp and clothing may be difficult to see, unless the infestation is heavy. If you see something moving, it's called a louse.
  • If your child's school sends out a notice of a lice outbreak...drink a bottle of wine!
Did you know that head lice is more likely to be found in clean hair?  Yes, it is true.  For all of you parents out there who pride themselves in the nightly baths their children take...you are actually a louse's dream come true.  Since my children are lucky to wash their hair once a week...this is actually a great line of defense for keeping lice away!

So here I sit, scratching my scalp as I write about lice.  So far I have not been able to see any signs of nits in my children's hair...but it doesn't mean I will stop looking.  I might pick up a box of RID (just in case)...and I have washed all of our sheets and towels.  I am praying we will be spared of any infestations...and my husband's team can grow their playoff beards.  However, would I be over-reacting if I purchased each of my children a pet monkey?


21 comments:

Chrissy said...

Haha, loved reading this! And scratching my head as I do so! One of the moms sent her daughter with lice to my daughter's brithday party last year (how could she?!) and I totally freaked out...but we didn't get an infestation - thank goodness! Have a fab weekend!

TexaGermaFinlaNadian said...

I am going to disinfect the computer screen right now...just in case :) Yuck! Blech! Itch....uh oh!

Unknown said...

Lice freaks me the hell out!
The girls can bring all the colds and flu that they want through my house, but if there's lice running amok in the schools, no one steps through that door! Blech, nasty stuff!(And darn it, I'm itching now too.)

Unknown said...

When I taught we would (sometimes)be told when a student had lice. It ALWAYS made my head itchy just thinking about it. My head is itchy right now since I'm talking about it! I always felt bad for the kids when they would get them. I'm glad you guys are lice free and hope you stay that way!

Heather said...

I scratched my head the entire time I read this. I hope your kiddos don't get it!

Kathleen said...

Lice is a topic that creeps everyone out! I worry that my son will come home from daycare with them. Ewwww. Now I'm itchy too!

Dr. McCoy said...

We got that notice this year, too. Luckily, my kids don't wash their hair until I remember to make them do it. So...we're good.

Ms. Sarah said...

oh yuck. Hope it clears soon for you.

Ross said...

Mmmmmmm doesn't sound like the odds are very good.Good luck! Whenever we get the dreaded pink sheet from our daughters school I'm always thinking that she's on it and that we will have to start treatments!!!

Unknown said...

I really loved reading this post. You made me laugh, wine is the answer to it all haha. I remember when I was in Elementary School there was an outbreak. It was like a plague how my Mom described it and I was petrified since this day. I never got it either but man.. did she rinse my sister and I hair a million times til ours scalps dried, lol!

Happy Comment Love Day to you my friend :)

xoxo
Katie

Take All Chances - Missy said...

I know the feeling... I have had kids in my class who have had them before and that's when my hair gets tied up for like 2 weeks haha!!Whenever lice gets mentioned it inevitably causes me to start scrathing.

Whenever I go to the hair dressers I panic incase they turn around and say: "I'm sorry we can't do anything for you today...you have head lice!" Definite paranoia!

Oh another fact which people forget...Lice can't jump. They can only crawl so heads have to be pretty much touching.

-Urgh- the scratching has started already!haha!

Ixy said...

I wonder when the lice thing starts? My daughter just started daycare in January and she's already been sick several times - head bugs never even crossed my mind though! Then again, the lice don't have much hair to work with at this age. Maybe we're safe for now.

Visiting from FTLOB :)

Ashley said...

Oh man, that sucks! I have two sisters - 8 and 12 - and my Mom has always been so proud we've never contracted lice. WELL, this year the 8 year old did and my Mom was mortified having to do all the clean up! That definitely stinks for you! And I'm sorry to hear you have snow this morning! I hope you have a great day!
(Stopping by from FTLOB)

Carlin said...

I do the same thing when I hear of a lice outbreak...I start scratching! My degree is in Elementary Education and am sure to come in contact with it over the next several years. Enjoyed reading your blog. Saw you on FTLOB.

-Carlin
http://carlinklepper.blogspot.com

Valery (CEO Wanna Be) said...

I have 7 kids and when one gets it they all seem to get it and believe me it takes forever to get rid of it. I cant stand lice. Yuck I got the chills just reading about it.
http://thisnthatboutiqueblog.blogspot.com/

Patti said...

LOL..omg...i am scratching my head as I read this!!! I had lice sooooo bad when I was 7 years old. This brought back memories! Get this...they didn't have a special shampoo so they said to rinse my hair daily with vinegar. To this day I cringe a little when I smell an oil and vinegar salad!!!!!

Unknown said...

I'm stopping by and following you from Mingle Monday. I hope you'll check out my blog Frazzled Mama at http://frazzled-mama.com and follow me back.

Heather Jones said...

Oh my skin is crawling now and I have the creeps about lice. Ugh!! I'm following from the Monday Mingle Blog hop. I'd love for you to follow back!!


Heather From and Mommy Only Has Two Hands! and Lynhea Designs

Heather (The Menu Mama) said...

Hahaha, I love how almost all the comments say the readers are itching from reading this. Lice are gross, I hope you're kids don't get them!!! My sister came back from a mission trip to India with them and it took forever to get rid of them.

Crystal said...

Ewww! That's my worst nightmare!! But since my kids are in charge of washing themselves (well, the older two anyway)...I'm pretty sure NOTHING is getting cleaned. So we are in the clear!

LesleyRH said...

I hope you are spared. My head itches just reading this! I worked in a group home for a few years and there were lice outbreaks ALL the time...it was a nightmare. I was the same as you...I'd study my hair every night after work, even cutting small pieces to examine for the little rascals. Luckily, I never got them.