Head lice!

Aww bless her! And you! I really wouldn't worry they are easy to miss. For example.....

my nieces came over to stay once and had nits ( didn't know at the time) so my 6 year old son caught them. It took me weeks to notice because I niavely thought because he was a boy he wouldn't get them. It gets worse...... My OH said to me a few weeks after de-nitting the lil one " you keep scratching your head sure you haven't got nits" I laughed it off because adults don't get nits do they? Oh yes they do! I had nits! I'm a grown woman how did I not realise I had nits ( probs for about 3 weeks!) so embarrassed, especially as it was OH that had to point it out to me!

So what I'm saying is don't feel bad you didn't realise your 10 year old had them because at 26 I didn't realise I had them. In my own head!

I am now massively paranoid every time my head itches! Lol

Curley...thank you so much! I'm sure the teacher wasn't judging me in any way but I guess it's just the stigma attached to it isn't it?! I was watching that Michael Molsley programme the other night where he deliberately infested himself with tapeworm and nits and I got the heebies...and now tonight I had to pick all 44 of them out her head! Abso dreading the morning when we have to wash the lotion out of her hair! I'm a nurse and I can tell you it takes a lot to make me queasy (I can easily talk about what I have for lunch while holding a pot of poo in work haha!) but again, I think it's the stigma!! And there really shouldn't be any! I swear all night I've felt as though an army of them are having a rave on my head but when I've lice-combed my head there's nothing!

Your story made me laugh so much though, thanks for that! I guess we'll both learn a little lesson here hehe!! xxxx

Don't worry, don't head lice prefer clean hair?

It would be far worse to be told your kids were dirty!

My kids seem to be particularly susceptible to the little buggers!! I have to check them every couple of days without fail or by the end of a week they're crawling with them. It drives me insane, but there will always be those parents who don't check and whose kids are constantly itching - poor little loves! As it stands, mine have been nit-free now for quite a while, but I often have to remove a solitary little crawler in order to prevent any further infection. I make sure I go over their hair with a nit comb and conditioner every two or three days - its pretty much all you can do!

My little lad has asthma which means most of the lotions are out as far as he's concerned, so I would much rather not get to the stage where we have to use them.

It really isn't your fault, and, under your circumstances, completely understandable that itching and scratching would go unnoticed, so don't worry about it xxxx

Awww don't beat yourself up about it. They grow out of getting them when their not in the play ground head to head. When my daughter got them I was mortified every time I closed my eyes I could see them. I was in my 20s and I caught them off her, I was even more mortified. I mentioned it to her teacher the school was really good every time a parent reported it to them they sent a letter to the whole school to check. Tbh I thought every school did it obversely not. Anyway back to when I said I had them she took a look at me and laughed she said the most loving parents catch them off their child because they cuddle them and give contact. She might have been making it up but it made me feel better about having them.

So just remember you caught them because your a loving parent. Shame on the school for not letting you know though.

Aw bless her heart. And yours, don't you worry. Though isn't it the job of a mum to feel permanently guilty about everything outside of their control!? ?

I remember having an infestation when I was a kid and the school was rife with them. Back in those days (aarrggh, I'm not old enough to say that yet!!?) the lotions weren't quite as effective then as they are now and it took weeks to rid me of them, i remember the awful metal comb dragging against my red raw scalp while I winged and whined and my mum held me still between her legs! Urgh.

Luckily, my 2 have never had lice, but my 2 step kids are always crawling. As soon as we see my step son with a shaved head, we know it's de-licing time.

We never found the lotions to be that good (plus, the amount we'd need, it'd cost a fortune),we use a nitty gritty comb, and cheapo conditioner. The comb even gets the eggs out.

Their Mum doesn't do their hair, so by the time they are back at our house, they are crawling again!

Ah don't worry I think most kids will get them at one time or another!

If your daughter's hair will take it try running your hair straighteners over her hair. The heat will probably kill the eggs. This is what I did when my little sister caught them at a similar age and in conjunction with combing the lice out it seemed to work as it stopped more hatching

It's making my head itch now!

Oh wow thank you so much everyone, I'm definitely feelng a bit better and you've all reassured me no end!

My daughters school doesn't send letters out or put signs up to let parents know...they obviously have their reasons but I can't think of any valid ones! I know finding out on Friday wouldn't have helped my daughter but hopefully between then and now she's not infected anyone else!

Thanks again Hitchers! xxxx

I used to have long hair at primary - so I was always catching head lice!! My Mum used loads of products on us but the best one was the electric nit comb.

The comb prongs are a bit further apart then a normal nit comb, plus it's electric so it beeps until it hits one - then you just pull it out and brush off the dead nits. It can't kill eggs - but used daily it will get rid of all the nits anyway. It was so easy to do that we could do it ourselves, plus we would use it weekly just to make sure (before we ended up with loads of them)

You can buy them in chemists - they are about £20 but it will be cheaper then lotions in the long run.

I was just about to say the same as Ebony Rose. At work (school) we advise regular comb through with a nit comb while the hair is covered with cheap conditioner.

The little blighters cant grip the hair when it is plastered in conditioner.

It really is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. Most kids get them but luckily, the attitudes have changed so much. It's more a case of when your child will get them these days. My two were terrible. I always seemed to be treating them. Kids have their heads together so much and that's when the crawl over. Long hair is also worse and more difficult to treat. I found the combs the best treatment in the end. I once picked one up from trying a hat on in a shop!!

It really is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. Most kids get them but luckily, the attitudes have changed so much. It's more a case of when your child will get them these days. My two were terrible. I always seemed to be treating them. Kids have their heads together so much and that's when the crawl over. Long hair is also worse and more difficult to treat. I found the combs the best treatment in the end. I once picked one up from trying a hat on in a shop!!