Does This Seem Right to You??

OMG! They are MORE concerned with losing federal money for absences than the health of the kids! Call the health department for certain!

I disagree this time with Gamma G, I have never had lice and went to 20+ years of school. My kids have NEVER had lice. My oldest son (10) went to school for 3 years and then we brought him home to educate him. It definitely comes from the home. I watch my friends whose kids go to school deal with it and it is a nightmare. I am so sorry.

Your best preventative is to keep girls hair in pony tails and use one of the lice sprays daily on your child.

Basically you will need to check on a regular basis (1x a week) to be sure your children don't have live bugs. Checking regularly is much better than a full blown infestation.

I don't think there is a law - but common sense should prevail!

At a friend's school, she and some other parents volunteered to do "head checks" during lice season.

I would bring it up during the next PTA meeting. Try to have something passed that at least a note goes home if someone is found with lice. When I got a note this year, I braided my daughter's hair for two weeks and sprayed her with anti-lice spray (jacket and bookbag, too). I was glad to know it was in her classroom!

In my school, we are notified if someone in the grade has lice and there are procedures listed in the student handbook. A kid found with lice must stay home the next day.

Good luck - I'd argue that rules must be in place.

that is just crazy. Why in the world would they not be able to tell other parents to be on the lookout, this is out there? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD?

Simple common sense is out the window. It's irritating and nuts and just plain stupid.

That is gross...can you report it to the health dept? I bought this spray called Quit Nits and every time i hear they're checking or there's an outbreak i spray my son's hair with it..but i also put a little bit of hair product in his hair and he's never gotten lice..i would call the health dept and report it and knowing me i would be looking for a different school ..good luck

Of course you're in my home state of CA. the ONLY thing the schools care about is money and they get their money by your child being in school. Period. They could care less about you or your household.

Our school does not do head checks but they do send home a notice.

There is lice repellent that you can get to spray on your daughter's head. The smell is QUITE strong not necessarily bad, but strong. Everyone will smell it.

You can also use Blue Magic Hair Conditioner. It's kind of like petroleum jelly for the hair. Makes the hair kind of greasy. Lice don't like it because the hair shafts are slick and the eggs won't attach. It breaks the life cycle.

Good luck!

WHAT? I want to strangle some people right now!!!!! That is about the most insane thing I've ever heard!!!! I would go over their heads and call the school district and see what they say about the rules!

Our school just sends a note home saying lice are present but of course they never name names which is fine with me. Besides the nurse being a nut, she needs to be educated - I would print out some information and send it to her!!! Of course they come from home but they spread AT SCHOOL!!!! What a quack!!!

We had our first experience with lice several years ago when we moved and had to switch schools - it is a pain in the butt!!!! Especially since my daughter had long hair!!!

If I were you, do what I did and instruct your children they should never share combs, brushes or any clothing, especially hats!!! Won't help a lot but it will help.

Good luck!!!!

That seems soooo WRONG!! My kid's go to a Charter school and they do notify the families, and are not allowed in the school if lice or knits are found, and then need to be checked by the school before they are back in. How irritating!!

Gross! I thought schools didn't allow kids in as long as there are eggs or live lice. That said, I'd so be buying the Lice preventing shampoo, conditioner and spray and using it on a regular basis. I've also heard that Lice prefer clean hair without any product added to it...so, I'd probably use a little gel, mousse or leave in conditioner on her hair, too. Also, reminder her no wearing other kids' hats or sharing brushes/combs.

At my kids' school, parents are notified, and the school Health Room Aide does a check of the kids. All kids. And also the other school staff volunteers to do head checks. And if a child has it, they cannot come back to school unless they were treated, and once back at school, the Health Room Aide does another head check before they go to class.
This is a public school.

Places like Whole Foods or other natural food stores, have lice repellants. That you can use to spray onto your child's hair and clothing.

At my kids' school as well, the kids are talked to, and told not to share hair things etc. It is precautionary. Kids are kids, and they often... play with each others hair or hug and sit closely to each other etc, and in Kindergarten the kids nap etc.

Precautions can be taken, by both the school and the parents. But these things only are helpful, if the school notifies the parents and the kids.

I know a kid that had lice in my daughter's class. And she has a younger sibling at the school too. So anyway, she had it, the sibling had it, the parents had it... and then other kids at the school. The parents, even if they were told, and the school sent home info about how to treat it at home... the parents didn't do anything right away to treat their kids. So anyway, that girl and her sibling had it like twice. And the parents too. Then FINALLY, the kid's parents, got more clued in, and treated their kids/the bedding etc. and then it finally was gotten rid of.
So there are these scenarios too.

They will not do checks here either. Parents do not get notified. And they are allowed in school. If I ever contract that in my home I will be miffed and they will know it. When I was young we would fight it for weeks.

The reason our school does not state anything is becuase it is not a virus or bacteria that will cause illness. (just sometimes hundereds of $ that could be avoided.) Lice is only considered a pain in the rear end.

The best thing you can do is prevent it as much as you can. I know this sounds gross but having lice for 3 weeks I found washing my hair less kept them away. I would wash every 3rd day. Yeah by then it will get gross but hey gross hair is better than those creepy crawly itchy things. Also use sprays keep the hair up and tell the school that beings they will not delete the issue from the school they can put child lockers up so that the clothes do not touch. Also inform your little one that wearing others clothes is a no no. If he/she is scared of bugs show her pictures of them.

Wow! I am shocked by this! My daughter's school sent home a notice when there was an outbreak and my daughter said that the nurse came in and checked everybody! I can't believe that schools aren't doing this. I would be uspet too.

In the meantime, wash your kids hair with tea tree oil (melaleuca oil). You can either buy the oil and add it to the shampoo or just buy shampoo already with the tea tree oil in it. It is a natural way to prevent lice and it won't leave your hair or scalp gross.

Good luck to you......

Our schools don't check children for lice. They did check us once that I remember when I was a child in the 70's, but not anymore. It is up to parents to check, but if we find our child has lice we will report it to the school, and a letter will go home stating that there has been a case of headlice reported in the classroom. I had never seen lice until a couple of years ago when my boys both got it. Before they got it I was terrified of the very thought of getting lice. When they got it I ended up being quite relieved, because it was so easy to get rid of. I simply washed their hair according the the shampoo directions, changed their bedding, combed with the nit comb for 10 days, washed their hair again after the 10 days. They haven't had it since. I am also not too worried about it because I know it really isn't anything to get stressed about. It is probably just best to assume there are always lice present and get in the habit of checking your child.

Have you called the school district office directly about this? Perhaps different school districts have different policies but I know in our school district they do send a notice home and the school nurse does check kids for lice. So I'm kind of surprised because you would think that they would want to prevent a wide spread infestation at their school which would naturally prevent kids from coming to school so their argument about letting people know would cause absences is just plain b.s. it will happen either way. You and other parents have the right to know.