Would You Tell? Kids and Lice?

If you know them, I'd give them a head's up. We've been on both sides of this and every time the parents appreciated the info. I would MUCH rather know that DD was exposed than to find out when she's exposed other people.

I hated making those phone calls when we had lice, but I felt it was the responsible thing to do and told the people my kids had been in contact with.

Tell them! Our daughter had it a month ago and we let everyone who'd been around her or hugged her recently know. Everyone was very appreciative. We've also been on the receiving end of texts and calls notifying us our child was exposed to someone with lice and were grateful. I'd rather know to look now than to head off to relatives for Thanksgiving and be surprised and have to deal with lice away from home.

Lice is going around big-time. I wouldn't worry about word getting around your child had it because she got it from someone else. It's out there and she's not the only one with it.

Please tell them! By the way, be grateful your school notifies and checks. Our school won't do that, citing (erroneously) privacy laws.

Just say you heard lice is going around school and your kids have it, so they might want to check the boys.

I think it is nice to give a heads up, but it is not necessary. Any friends who would stigmatize your daughter are jerks and not really worth having as friends.

ETA: I have to disagree with throwing things out. Lice can not live without a human host longer than 48 hours, so just bagging stuff up for a week is more than enough.

I would give a heads up. Give a call, tell them that she came home from school with lice, and that they may want to check their boys/take precautions. That way, if they do have it, they get it taken care of quickly before sending the 4 boys to school with it to spread it around more.

It's becoming so common nowadays that the stigma is no longer attached IMHO. We had a terrible bout of it at the beginning of the school year. Many, many families were affected and there was no shame in telling. People will appreciate the heads-up.

You realize that lice isn't a "dirty person" plague, right?

This is what happens when we stop using pesticides and live in a 24 hour world.

Notify everyone your child/family has come in contact with. Get your house cleaned up (no, not saying it's dirty) this means getting stuffed animals washed and pillows thrown out. Cleaning the bedding and the brushes (I personally would throw out) and get new ones...and go through the drawer that the brushes and combs were stored in and use clorox and sanitize them...'

vacuum....dust...get rid of the nits...

And church?? PAHLEASE...judge not lest you be judged. if they can't understand that you aren't "Dirty" and didn't hurt anyone...

Get it out. Talk about it. It's NOT A DIRTY PERSON "thing"...

It really should be no big deal, but IT IS.

I thought the responsible thing to do would be tell the YMCA about the head lice that my daughter came home with and the lady made a big broadcast.

She said she couldn't come back until it was gone...okay, I took care of it, but what about the other 50 kids at the Y? She said to come see her when we got there and said she looked but didn't know what she was looking for, REALLY?

I told her that my 7 year old (at the time) came home with braided hair and could have never french braided her hair on her own and that she shared the Y councilor was using the same brush on the girls.

Anyway, as we walked out of the office, she grabbed the "We have discovered lice" sign and put it on the check out table.

When my daughter returned one of the kids said something stupid about not getting too close to her because she had lice on her back.

You did your part and told the school, they have about 5 different methods of getting the word around.

Let the school handle it.

Hi H.,

I think I appreciate your mixed feelings, because I had to call the other parents when my child came home with lice. It was uncomfortable until the other mom thanked me sincerely, said she hoped her kids didn't have them and if they did, hoped they didn't pass it to my daughter! So gracious. So your call is really a "heads-up" that there is lice in the area and it found your kid!

As others have said so well, your daughter is NOT the SOURCE. I apologize for the caps, but your daughter didn't invent them or introduce them into your circle of acquaintances, because she received them from someone else who received them, from.... well you get my point.

All my best.

It's time to lose the stigma about lice. It has nothing to do with cleanliness or class or anything else. Everyone is entitled to the same info, so the fact that these people have 4 kids and are busy should have no bearing on whether or not you tell them.

If the school has a automated call set up or email network of parents, the word should already be out. I hope the school is not waiting until Monday to check kids before they inform parents - they already know from you that a student has lice so I don't know why they would wait to start the notification and include instructions.

Your daughter got lice from someone else so why is there any stigma? We really are clinging to old stereotypes when we talk about a certain "type" who get diseases or infestations and assume that some people are innocent "victims" while others are at fault as perpetrators.

Tell them or don't tell them, your choice. But it should have nothing to do with stigmatizing.

I would start calling people right now or send out a mass email

The school will notify the parents if they find any on their kids heads. No need to tell anyone your child has it. It's hard to get it, they have to share stuff like a hat, a scarf, a brush, clothing, etc....so just being in the same room with someone doesn't give lice to them.

Go to headlice.org for good solid information.

By the way, people who get head lice are exceptionally clean. Lice don't like dirty people. They can't stick their babies eggs onto dirty hair.

Yup. You should share that you found lice on your children and yourself.

But you don't have to say "My kids gave some other kids lice." It didn't start with your children. Nobody can know exactly where or when it arrived. Reword it. "We found lice on Daughter. We have all been treated and are now lice free. We aren't sure where it came from, but we want to ensure that everyone is aware so that it doesn't spread further. "

Do you know that lice is nothing new?
It's not a new thing.
Lice have been around since the beginning of civilization.
Remnants of lice and nits have been found on mummies!

They are passed from person to person. They didn't just appear on your daughter--she got it from someone, as did every person who has ever had it!
Yes--I'd let them know.
If it was reversed, would you want them to give you a heads up?
Probably.

it's only by the grace of the gods that i was spared this. my boys went through crewcut phases, but were also sometimes long-haired hippykids, so it could have happened to us at any time and been a huge PITA. and they did lots and lots of sleepovers.
it just can't be an easy conversation to have, but if you want to remain on the side of angels, you need to give your friends a heads-up. it's what we would all want our friends to do for us.
khairete
S.