The nurse called me and said Natalie had lice.
It was awful. Awful. I hope we never have to go through it again.
Here are things I learned about dealing with lice.
1. There are so many lice products out there.
I didn't know what to get. There's Lice B Gone. Gone Lice. Lice Freee. Remove Lice! Lice Yuck. Which one should I get? And why were they so expensive? The only reason I bought the product I did (Lice Freee) was because a friend recommended it. (I also went to Ulta and picked up their Fairy Tale lice products.)
2. Lice shampoo smells weird.
I mean, you're using something to kill a bug. So I figured it wouldn't smell of coconut. Still. My fingers seemed to smell of it for days.
3. The washer and dryer will be going for most of the day.
I had to wash all the bedding. Stuffed animals. Towels. Clothes. I was paranoid my dryer might start smoking.
4. You have to deal with the weird smelling lice shampoo for most of the day.
One treatment is rarely enough. So there's a lot of putting it in, combing everything out, washing it out, and repeating. I had my Scentsy going to help mask the scent. It sort of worked. Our house smelled like a pumpkin/chemical building.
5. The kids don't appreciate what you're doing.
"I'm tired of having my hair all wet! The house smells strange! Maybe I LIKE the lice living in my hair!" These are things I heard from Natalie throughout the day.
6. You'll feel like you live in a dirty house when the nurse and principal tell you that your child has lice.
Yup. I worried I didn't clean enough even though I know Natalie got it from her friend. She and her friends love to play with each other's hair on a daily basis.
7. If you have a kid with Autism, they'll probably freak out.
Tommy didn't like the smell of the shampoos. He didn't like the idea of bugs in his hair. He was worried to sit anywhere in the house. At one point he took a blanket and sat on it. He didn't want Natalie near him. He was in a constant state of panic.
8. Also, if your child likes bugs, they'll actually LIKE the lice.
Yup. I showed Natalie what the lice looked like because I found one ON HER HEAD--normally this would freak a person out because, ew, BUGS ON MY SKULL! But nope, Natalie was like, "Aw, he's cute! Do we have to kill it? Maybe he just needs a home in my hair." (I had to swallow back the urge to go, "WTF Natalie?")
9. Your own head will start to itch the second you hear about lice.
Your head itches now, doesn't it? Sorry.
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Yup, my hair itches now. Yuck. My little girl had headlice last year and it was no fun! Ugh.
ReplyDeleteyup its itching..... I think every parent of girls has had to deal with this at some point. Emmy knows someone in her class has lice when they start using the giant ziplock bags to store their backpack and coats.
ReplyDeleteI love that she didn't want to kill the lice! Sounds like something I would have said as a kid. I still take spiders outside instead of smashing them.
ReplyDeleteNatalie sounds so funny! That is something I'm sure I would have said as a kid too, hahaha. She'll cringe in a few years, promise. ;)
ReplyDeleteIt smells horrible!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes...it does itch. I am reading this book where someone said they had bionic lice that took MONTHS to get rid of even with special shampoo. Crazy!!!
My head itches whenever someone mentions it! We've been through it a few times at my house and it really does suck!
ReplyDeleteI know it's not funny and a huge pain but I'm laughing at Natalie - seriously she wanted to keep the lice and give them a home?! One day when she has a daughter if she ever has to deal with lice you will have to remind her of that comment!!!
ReplyDeleteYour daughter cracks me up. And I swear, that's something Erica would say, too. WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR DAUGHTERS???
ReplyDeleteDealing with lice is like dealing with fleas, which we had to do last fall. It was horrible. HORRIBLE.
Ughhh I remember being a little girl and our entire softball tam got lice from sharing helmets! Not to mention I had hair down to my butt! Oh the misery!!!
ReplyDeleteYup, my head is itching right now in solidarity.
ReplyDeleteAnd only Natalie would love her head bugs. You have to applaud her for that. Charming.
OMG my head does itch now! I can't believe she wanted to give them a home in her hair!! Gotta love kids.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, your daughter cracks me up! Thanks for making my head itch :)!
ReplyDeleteThat is one thing I don't miss from Florida - lice! Especially since the lice likes the spanish moss and that thing is everywhere in FL! I think the first time I heard about someone having lice was back when I was in first grade and it was a kid from the second grade that had it, so the whole school got inspected. But other than that I have never seen lice before coming to USA.
ReplyDeleteKind of starting to itch right now and I'm not liking it! Maybe I ought to go check the children's heads.....
ReplyDeleteI got mine from a public bus. I think that the medicine is better these days. I remember when I was little I had a friend with really long hair and she ended up having to cut it to get rid of the lice.
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHAHHAHHA!!!!!!!!!!! OMG. Natalie saying the lice is cute and it needs a home in her hair is hilarious. I mean, it's a big fat NO but the girl is funny
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like such a nightmare. Hopefully cats can't get lice.
ReplyDeleteOh my, I have not had to deal with lice. But I can imagine that I'd feel the same way, wanting to lysol and disinfect my entire house.
ReplyDeleteLol, such a sweet girl, trying to domesticate those little creatures! :D I heard somewhere, the lice like to attack clean 'surfaces', so no need to feel dirty at all (but I know what you mean - she says as she scratches her head...).
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry that you had to deal with this, Amber, but I guess it's sort of a right of passage with children. Best of luck as you rid your household of it!
ReplyDeleteBeth || www.TheStyleBouquet.com
My apology buy lice freaks me out AF.
ReplyDeleteHome remedy it to shower the head with vinegar.
And if still can't go with vinegar or other anti-lice shampoo (and lice already terorized the head)..the last option is having the hair. The good thing about it is, lice will go and you'll grow back nice hair :)
Head lice is literally my worst nightmare. Mu kids have never had it and I am so scared that they will at some point.
ReplyDeleteLice has struck my house once and I hope that will be the only time. The one bug I did see hunts me still. Lol, I didn't want to be by the two children that had it but they were nice enough to give it to the whole household. #notbestdayever
ReplyDeleteLice attacks bring back old memories! I can completely imagine kids going we don't need to kill it! All the things you've mentioned are one hundred percent true! It's a fun read but I can imagine how crazy it must have been!
ReplyDeleteI know this is a serious personal story, but I love the humorous way you told it. I have no idea what lice looks like, and I'm fortunate enough to have never had it. My heart goes out to you and your family. 'Cause I would seriously freak out.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of my childhood when kids would always get lice & have to miss school for a couple of days. I agree with your point that the shampoo does smell strange!
ReplyDeleteHahaha! You're right, my head iches now. LOL. I agree with using the shampoo, I had it too when I was a kid. ;)
ReplyDeleteHead lies is the worth thing that can happen to kids.... I have seen people loosing their hair because of the head lies...that's horrible. Glad that now a days there so so many shampoos and products have arrived . I hope these would work on poor lil kids
ReplyDelete#5 for sure! Do kids every appreciate what we're doing? I have yet to experience head lice in my home, but with 4 boys I'm just bracing myself for it. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteOMG I Love this list. Especially no 9. I feel itchy just thinking about it. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteNatalie sounds so funny! I have been through it a few times at my house and it really does suck!
ReplyDeleteAgree on Maritza, the number nine! The feeling of itchiness whenever you thought of that will always come out on my head. hahaha, Thanks for your tips. Your kids will thank you for that when they understand about this. -ANOSA
ReplyDeleteI have had to deal with lice in my daughters hair... twice. The only thing I can say was that even though my daughter hated going through it, she really did seem to appreciate having it be done. That was good.
ReplyDeleteUgh. I hope I never have to deal with it but if the kids start getting it in school then I'm done for. I think you handled it pretty well though.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't aware, that it could be that big of a problem. Luckily never had lice problems in the family.
ReplyDeleteOh man, I remember when I was a kid and got them. We were taking pics for our softball team and I forgot my hat to I borrowed another girl's for my photo. That's the exact moment I got them. Yuck!
ReplyDeleteYes, my head itches but I had to laugh out loud at number 8!! Natalie is way to cute and well, you did a great job swallowing that wtf!!!
ReplyDeleteOh no! Must be an awful experience for you! I liked your conversation with Natalie when she said that lice is cute and you were furious!
ReplyDeleteOoh, lice are the WORST! My daughter got them about a year ago, and I briefly considered burning my entire house down. They're sooo hard to get rid of, and so icky. Sorry you had to go through that!
ReplyDeleteOh my! So glad I haven't had to deal with lice!
ReplyDeleteI've never had lice but I have had to deal with bed bugs. Either way the feeling is very gross, scary, creepy, and annoying. Hope you never have to go through this again.
ReplyDeleteLICE!!! We dealt with that for almost 2 years. They were the toughest lice. We tried everything - mayonnaise, peanut butter, vinegar, and lice treatments. Yeah, nothing worked until we stopped associating with the person who brought them to us. All we got was smelly, oily hair with dandruff and burnt scalps (because our skin is sensitive.) Not to mention, with the Latin gene, all our hair is super thick and long. Oh, I'm so GLAD those days are over. Still, I cringe thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteI am absolutely dreading this moment when I have to take care of lice on my kids' heads. This is that one instance when I will pay lots of money to someone to comb the lice out, not going to do this myself.
ReplyDeleteI remember my sister getting this while we were in school. It was a complete nightmare. Even saying the word makes my head itch...ugh.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly I have never had to deal with lice. Myself as a child never got it, and I was a hair stylist for 10 years. I never came across a kid with it.
ReplyDeletei can relate to the story that is why I make sure I have enough haul of head lice shampoo for the whole family. I hate being infected with lice.
ReplyDeleteHead lice can be horrible. The horrible smelling shampoo can be the only way to get rid of it.Unfortunately the condition is really irritating.I am with you and totally get your agony .Great reading as always
ReplyDeleteOh my god! Reading this made my head itch, LOL! I seriously hope this is something that we can avoid!
ReplyDelete8 actually cracked me up! and 9 made my head itch. I feel your pain as a colleague's child had also lice and told me about the details she too had to go through to get rid of them. ITCH ITCH ITCH!!
ReplyDelete