Parent volunteer lice checks - can I opt out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm thinking OP doesn't want "dirty colored people" and/or "foreigners" touching her kid. Or she thinks the exams will somehow give her kids lice. Both of those are things my crazy racist father would have ranted about had lice checks been instituted at my school back in the day.

People, can you please take your paranoia elsewhere?

[Anonymous]

I really wish our school did lice checks on everyone. We had recurring lice last year for what felt like forever. I was told that the school nurse can't check every student or even every student in a class where lice are reported. That the nurse has to check and allow kids back to school if they're lice-free. But no proactive checks, which essentially guarantees that the lice will be back straight away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only on DCUM would you find defenders of parents doing lice checks on random children who happen share a classroom with their children. School nurse or teacher? If there's a good reason to look that's fine. Maybe these parents could set up shop at playgrounds or children's library space and inspect every stranger first so their precious kids doesn't catch lice

I don't want a random parent in my kid's head for any reason. I would complain to the principal to make it stop immediately as the parents are over the line of acceptable behavior.

I am usually the first person to poke at the self-important among us on DCUM, but I can't even let this one go.

Let your child get checked for lice.

It's not an STD and nobody's reputation will be scarred. It's nasty bugs in your kids hair, right? Why would you not want to make sure she/he has a clean head??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm thinking OP doesn't want "dirty colored people" and/or "foreigners" touching her kid. Or she thinks the exams will somehow give her kids lice. Both of those are things my crazy racist father would have ranted about had lice checks been instituted at my school back in the day.

People, can you please take your paranoia elsewhere?

White people are much higher risk for lice than AAs.

In theory lice don't discriminate. In practice, it's easier for lice to move from one very clean long-haired person to another clean long-haired person.

Lice happens: http://dc.licehappens.com/

[Anonymous]

I don't think parent volunteers are capable of diagnosing lice. My guess is that they'll miss most of the actual cases and most of the kids that they'll diagnose with "nits" will actually just have scalp eczema.

I'm also a little paranoid about parents with big mouths since the time I emailed the other parents in my daughter's second grade class to warn them about my lice in the classroom and one d-bag mother told her 7-year old son, who then made fun of my daughter in front of the whole class for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How does one go about being licensed for lice checks anyway? I've been looking for a part time job.

This is DC. You need a master's degree in lice management at minimum, preferable from an Ivy.

The Barry Institute for Lice & Other Parasites (BILOP) handles all school-based training and certificates.

You don't get a certificate, you get a lice-nce. Thanks, I'm here all week. Try the veal.

OP, you're certifiable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think parent volunteers are capable of diagnosing lice. My guess is that they'll miss most of the actual cases and most of the kids that they'll diagnose with "nits" will actually just have scalp eczema.

I'm also a little paranoid about parents with big mouths since the time I emailed the other parents in my daughter's second grade class to warn them about my lice in the classroom and one d-bag mother told her 7-year old son, who then made fun of my daughter in front of the whole class for it.

You shouldn't be ashamed of lice. Nearly everybody goes through it one time or another, and you can be a helpful resource for other parents. We have one parent in our grade who's been particularly helpful with combing tips - she's been on the merry go round twice with her girls already. There are no secrets with kids, so let's take the stigma away instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think parent volunteers are capable of diagnosing lice. My guess is that they'll miss most of the actual cases and most of the kids that they'll diagnose with "nits" will actually just have scalp eczema.

I'm also a little paranoid about parents with big mouths since the time I emailed the other parents in my daughter's second grade class to warn them about my lice in the classroom and one d-bag mother told her 7-year old son, who then made fun of my daughter in front of the whole class for it.

You shouldn't be ashamed of lice. Nearly everybody goes through it one time or another, and you can be a helpful resource for other parents. We have one parent in our grade who's been particularly helpful with combing tips - she's been on the merry go round twice with her girls already. There are no secrets with kids, so let's take the stigma away instead.

Your personal experience doesn't equal others. The PP already said her daughter was bullied in the classroom because of it. I agree that being a parent does not automatically mean you know how to identify lice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How does one go about being licensed for lice checks anyway? I've been looking for a part time job.

This is DC. You need a master's degree in lice management at minimum, preferable from an Ivy.

The Barry Institute for Lice & Other Parasites (BILOP) handles all school-based training and certificates.

You don't get a certificate, you get a lice-nce. Thanks, I'm here all week. Try the veal.

OP, you're certifiable.

How much to get lice-nced?

Can I send my MIL?

[Anonymous]

Yuck. Not a chance I'd agree to another parent putting their hands in my child's hair after they did a dozen other kids. Great way to spread lice. We check our own kid and use the special shampoo, conditioner and gel to keep the lice away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really wish our school did lice checks on everyone. We had recurring lice last year for what felt like forever. I was told that the school nurse can't check every student or even every student in a class where lice are reported. That the nurse has to check and allow kids back to school if they're lice-free. But no proactive checks, which essentially guarantees that the lice will be back straight away.

That's because the school's tell people to use the over the counter chemical treatments. Studies show that 95% of lice in this country are now resistant to those pesticides. It's totally pointless advice and leads to never ending cycles of contagion. It worked great in the 1970s but 40 years in like 40 million years in lice evolution.

[Anonymous]

When I was a kid, lice was shameful. That was forever ago. Lice is the new normal. Be glad that important things like polio, tetanus, and HPV can be vacinated against. So guess what, you're going to either comb through your child's hair a few times for the next few weeks or else use lice-killing shampoo.

Either way, lice have been with us for a few thousand years. Lots of things are worth getting excited over. This isn't one of them.

[Anonymous]

Freaking out about live is a first world problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yuck. Not a chance I'd agree to another parent putting their hands in my child's hair after they did a dozen other kids. Great way to spread lice. We check our own kid and use the special shampoo, conditioner and gel to keep the lice away.

Lice doesn't spread on your hands! LOL! You people are ridiculous!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Freaking out about live is a first world problem.

Stupid online chatter is the ultimate first world problem.