I just spent about six hours combing through my younger daughter’s hair. I will never be able to say the word “nitpicking” casually again.
My eight-year-old had been complaining about her head itching for a week or so now, but I’d looked at it last weekend and hadn’t seen anything but a little redness and a few scabs where she’d scratched (I thought). Since she’d been using a new shampoo, I figured she was sensitive to it and had her switch back to the old brand.
Tonight, after dinner, she told me that her head still itched really badly, and I took another look. Now, I’ve never really looked for lice before, but I did see little bumps attached to her hair, and I knew that couldn’t be a good sign. I called the health line our HMO provides, and, while the nurse there was describing the symptoms to me, I saw something move in my child’s hair!
I rushed right out (on the advice of the nurse, who sounded as if she’s never had any personal dealings with lice, but she had the manual there) and bought a lice-killing product. We followed the instructions carefully, and then we spent hours combing and picking. My older daughter doesn’t have any signs, nor do my husband and I.
I’ve looked up the subject online (and discovered a site that advised me not to use the over-the-counter lice shampoos - oh, well). I’m planning to call the doctor tomorrow, and I think I have all the information I need to deal with the outbreak effectively. I’ve already called the parents of the child who spent the night here Friday, and I’m going to let the school nurse know.
But I’m freaked out. Has anyone else had this happen? Were your children ostracized for the rest of the school year? When should you warn other parents about it and when is it okay to just not mention it? What works and what doesn’t in containing this? The website I looked at said that lice aren’t that easily transmitted, but do I have to worry about the entire family coming down with this? I think I need support from parents who don’t have to worry about their kids catching it from mine.
We’re clean people, honest we are!
My head itches.