tips on preventing my kids from getting LICE in public school?

Question

recently moved to a rural area and the other mom's are telling me that HEADLICE has been a problem around here....any ideas on how to prevent my kids from getting the bugs?

Answer 1

spray their hair down once a week with apple cider vinegar and wash. that vinegar kills parasites.
also i read on the net that , using denorex helps prevent lice. the bugs don't like the smell of that.

Answer 2

Just for the sake of saying so - I live in a rural area, and my children have never had a head lice problem!

Head lice can happen in any school. There are no real statistics as to how they start.

The only thing that I have ever taught my kids - is not to share combs, hats, brushes, ponytail holders, etc - with anyone. Not even their best friend. And, they don't.

My children are also checked regularly at school.

Answer 3

Sorry, but you CAN'T prevent it.
And why "public school"? So you think public school kids are poor, and dirty? OH TRUST ME, you've got it all wrong. I got lice when I was 8 in a PRIVATE SCHOOL.
There's nothing you can do to prevent them. All little kids play and touch eachother hair, etc. If one of your kid's friends has lice, your kid most likely already has lice, or will get it.
Don't worry, it's easy to treat. Just throw away all of your children's bed sheets, and everything their head has touched. Washing bedsheets will NOT work. The lice don't die in water, and if they do, their eggs DON'T. Buy alot of lice kits, and wash everyone in your family's hair. Chances are, if your kid has lice, and they've had it for a while and nobody knew, you most likely have it, too. So treat everyone living in the house, and throw away bed sheets, etc.
Do the treatment once a day for a whole week. You can also put vaseline in your hair. It's a good trick. Cover your scalp and hair in vaseline and then put a shower cap on. The lice will suffocate, and their eggs will die as well.

Good luck.

Answer 4

You can't really prevent it, but you can minimize your risk. Make sure everyone in family has their own brushes & combs (no sharing) and store them separately in individual bags or bins to prevent cross-contamination. Don't share pillows/beds or stuffed animals and blankets. Don't share hats. Teach your kids not to share personal items like hats, helmets, rest mats and combs at school. They should also try to avoid head-to-head contact while working or playing with other kids at school. Check everyone's hair weekly for nits and lice and treat immediately if you detect anything. You could also wash brushes/combs and bedding regularly in hot water (around 130 deg F), which may help prevent lice from spreading to family members if one picks it up at school. Some people swear by tea tree oil shampoo (available at health food type stores) for killing & preventing lice.

Unfortunately, once it gets into the school population, it can be very difficult to eradicate because the kids are in such close contact with each other.

Answer 5

There's no real way to prevent it, just treat it. If you're lucky, your children will never get lice. I NEVER have had lice in my life, thankfully, and I went to a rural school as well, where the majority of the kids in the school had lice at any one point in time. I've heard they prefer certian textures of hair over other textures, and certian levels of oil in the hair, etc. I don't know how true it is.

Check this link out

http://www.headlice.org/

Answer 6

If they're boys, keep their hair short. If they're girls, keep their hair in a ponytail. Also, try not to send them to school in jackets/sweaters that they would take off and likely hang on a rack next to another child's jacket or sweater. Lice usually jump from one thing to another so if their jackets, coats, etc. are near another child's belongings the lice will probably end up on your childs belongings as well. Also try tight fitting clothing. Nothing that would be flowing in the wind (such as a dress) and could possibly rub up against another child who has lice.
And lastly, do NOT have them bathe/shower every night. Lice hate dirty hair. The cleaner your child's hair is, the easier it is for the lice to move around and lay eggs.

Answer 7

Make sure they don't share anything that has been on anyone else's head. I've had lice TWICE, got it in Argentina, NOT fun! If they do get it though, just go to a nearby drugstore and buy the special shampoo. You can also get a very very fine toothed comb and comb through their hair after using the special shampoo.

Good Luck!

Answer 8

Make sure your kids know not to share brushes or combs and no trading hats or even trying them on just for fun, same with coats or sweaters. Tell them to keep hugging to a minimum (which is tough for the younger ones since they're so touchy-feely when they're little).

If you have boys, the shorter the hair the better. Crew cuts are ideal. For girls, keep their hair braided and go heavy on the hair spray.

Nothing can 100% prevent (not gel, mousse, spray or anything) but it can lessen the chances.

Answer 9

Inform your children how the lice may come from sharing hats, brushes, etc. This was a problem ar our school last year too. My doc suggested a rinse with vinegar after shampooing. It worked my boys never got it. The smell of the vinegar goes away when the hair dries. If you do need treatment please research sasafrass oil. It may be used instead of the harsher chemical treatments with less side effects.

Answer 10

Short, short hair and no sharing of anything! Make sure there are no stuffed animals or fabric pillows and things in the classroom - lice love fabric.

...but keep in mind lice doesn't just exist in public schools - it can happen anywhere...