PA - Woman Charged For Sending Kids To School With Head Lice

[MCDRAW]

Our Elementary school does a head check every other Friday. I use to be terrible, if I found out someone in my son's class had lice, I would go buy the lice shampoo and wash his head. He had a flat top, so he never got it. I would also make him come right in and drop his jacket in the washer. I washed and dried his jacket every day. I know, I'm OCD. But he never got it and so far neither have my girls. It can be very expensive to get rid of the lice and sometimes people do not realize that you have to wash everything. I wonder if this Mother is low income?

 

[2sisters]

This seems a bit extreme to arrest her for it. There has to be more to this story. I do agree with keeping achild from school that has lice. Some people are just really ignorant about lice and have a " I don't give a crap" attitude over it.
I can not tell you how many kids hair I have went to cut and they have lice and the mom asks me to cut it anyways. Yeah, I am gonna comb thru this kids hair, get it on my clothes, possible take it home to my kids, plus get eggs caught in my combs for some other lucky client if I mistakenly do not get all the eggs out to make your job easier to remove the lice. No thank you. My favorite was the kid with lice so bad he had bite marks on his scalp. You can not tell me his mom didn't know he had lice!

 

[Taximom]

Someone locally took my idea and has a business much like a beauty salon only they get rid of your lice for you. From what I read in the paper, you take your child there and they do the dirty work. I think you are supposed to go back within a few days so they can make sure they get any missed.

I don't understand how that would work though if you have a parent that isn't doing their part at home... I guess that's just repeat business?

I have no idea what they charge, but if I were running the place it would be quite a bit! I don't know why, but they don't scare me anymore like they used to. They are a pain in the butt, but not scary.

 

[2sisters]

That's the problem with lice is parents not doing enough to treat it. It never goes away on the first try, you also have to treat bedding, etc. in the house. It isn't just shampoo once and go on your way. With boys with short hair you can get away with that maybe.
I am not scared of the lice themselves, just the hassle of it.

 

[chiperoni]

Someone locally took my idea and has a business much like a beauty salon only they get rid of your lice for you. From what I read in the paper, you take your child there and they do the dirty work. I think you are supposed to go back within a few days so they can make sure they get any missed.

I don't understand how that would work though if you have a parent that isn't doing their part at home... I guess that's just repeat business?

I have no idea what they charge, but if I were running the place it would be quite a bit! I don't know why, but they don't scare me anymore like they used to. They are a pain in the butt, but not scary.

This might explain everything.http://thepittsburghchannel.com/news/15765782/detail.html

 

[2sisters]

27, was that the right age? 27 with 6 kids 1-10 years old? After we are done educatinign her on lice can someone give her the S-E-X talk? Jezz, get her some condoms with the Rid shampoo whe you go to walmart.

 

[JanetElaine]

Someone told me a few years ago that head lice don't like coconut, and if you use shampoo where coconut is in the first seven ingredients that helps prevent getting head lice.

I have no clue if it actually works or not, but I have been using such a shampoo for DD ever since then. She has not had head lice ever. Even though they were in her class, on her bus, even the girl that sat next to her on the bus. I have no scientific proof that this is because of the shampoo, she might not have got them anyway, no way of knowing so I am knocking on wood anyway. But not changing shampoos either!

 

[chiperoni]

I guess she was on drugs. This is one time head lice probably saved the kids from more neglect. I hope the kids are all right. It had to be hard on them when the mother would not do anything about the headlice and then when the school called her she didn't pick them up. That situation is so sad for the children.

 

[chiperoni]

http://thepittsburghchannel.com/news/15765782/detail.html
The mom was found unconscious from an alleged overdose.

 

[dasaky]

This is the reason I would never let my kids use the headphones at record stores (record stores? My God. How old am I?) or at the library. At school they had little plastic baggies that they changed after every child. Still bothered me. Cree.pee.

 

[becklynn]

Often the chairs in certain areas of the school itself is covered in fabric. Kids can get it that way, just sittting in a chair in the nurses office or principle or councelors office because they usually don't have plastic chairs.
My sons got head lice over and over a 2 month period. My step daughter would come over with it and they would get it again from her. Her mother treated her hair with dog flea shampoo and refused to wash bedding. I had to wash all the bedding and treat all three kids hair to get rid of lice and then she would go to her moms and come back with them.

 

[Diamond]

That's the problem with lice is parents not doing enough to treat it. It never goes away on the first try, you also have to treat bedding, etc. in the house. It isn't just shampoo once and go on your way. With boys with short hair you can get away with that maybe.
I am not scared of the lice themselves, just the hassle of it.

I didn't have any problem getting rid of them on the first try. I still followed the directions and retreated (think it was 10 days later?), but only as a precaution. I could be wrong, but I'm convinced the script shampoo and thorough *head checking are why it went so well. Of course, the house can't be ignored, but I don't think it needs to be taken to extremes. Thankfully, they can't last long off of a host.

*Meaning, making certain every single nit was removed. So, checking a couple times a day for a few weeks. I don't mean five minute checks either, rather 30-60 minute checks...on short hair. That was the only thing I took to the extreme...head checking.

Facts of Lice: http://www.licesolutions.org/pages/facts.html#1

 

[JBean]

Forget the head lice..this lady snorted 3 xanax. Good grief no wonder she was passed out.

 

[montana_16]

The best place to get them is on the movie theater seats! MY favorite!

Whew JBean. Thanks for mentioning that. I have hair down past the middle of my back. I don't go to movies often, but next time I do my hair is going up!

 

[Clearly Confused]

Oh winteryns, I had a neighbor like that and she sent her kids to my house for a sleepover CRAWLING in headlice ... not just nits mind you. Her house was disgusting, but I'd never consider her an abusive or neglectful mother. Although, I was always leery going to her home, the stench would stay in my nostrils all day.

Anyway, I had to go to war against them a few times. They are not easy to get rid of, even in the cleanest of homes. And, frequently you can get re-infested over the stupidest things ... like forgetting to vacuum out all the car seats.

I know what you mean. I think is sad that my neighbor didn't do anything to help her kids. You know the other kids tease them because they have "bugs".

 

[golfmom]

Forget the head lice..this lady snorted 3 xanax. Good grief no wonder she was passed out.

The she should be charged appropriately. Throwing on the head lice deal, makes it look like they're really stretching for charges to have the children removed. I do think it sounds like the children need to be removed ... but not because of freakin' head lice.

 

[Eire]

Someone told me a few years ago that head lice don't like coconut, and if you use shampoo where coconut is in the first seven ingredients that helps prevent getting head lice.

I have no clue if it actually works or not, but I have been using such a shampoo for DD ever since then. She has not had head lice ever. Even though they were in her class, on her bus, even the girl that sat next to her on the bus. I have no scientific proof that this is because of the shampoo, she might not have got them anyway, no way of knowing so I am knocking on wood anyway. But not changing shampoos either!

I've heard that too and it does work. When the kids brought it home from school (Merry Christmas, mom!) we used the listerine and vinegar and followed up with coconut oil. It worked quite well and the oil acted as a sort of conditioner. The lady at the health food store here told me they can't keep coconut oil in stock during the school year, it flies off the shelves. It's excellent for all sorts of things.

 

[Clearly Confused]

The she should be charged appropriately. Throwing on the head lice deal, makes it look like they're really stretching for charges to have the children removed. I do think it sounds like the children need to be removed ... but not because of freakin' head lice.

I think the head lice is just part of the neglect. I am sure this isn't the first time she tried snorting something and passed out. Thankfully the kids are out of her care...for now.

 

[Eire]

The she should be charged appropriately. Throwing on the head lice deal, makes it look like they're really stretching for charges to have the children removed. I do think it sounds like the children need to be removed ... but not because of freakin' head lice.

I completely agree with you. The news around here was making it sound like it was the headlice that caused the removal of the kids when there are other obvious factors that lead to that. I think you're right, making it seem about the lice almost gives the impression that they're reaching for charges.

 

[absinthe]

The best place to get them is on the movie theater seats! MY favorite!

I got them from an airplane seat :sick: