Vacuuming the children’s rooms is a good idea, taking care to throw away the vacuum bag or emptying the collection area outside. Make sure to soak any hair products like combs, brushes, barrettes, ties or bands in rubbing alcohol or medicated shampoo. Or simply throw them away and buy new ones.
At one time, doctors recommended that children who were found to have head lice should stay home until cured. That’s no longer the case, and after treatment with a medicated shampoo, children are usually sent back to school with the warning to avoid sharing hats, combs and brushes with their peers.
Keep in mind that head lice isn’t a sign of neglect, poor hygiene or careless, dirty behavior. Any economic level can acquire the bugs, no matter if they bathe every night or not, and long- or short-haired people are equally affected.
Once you feel that you’ve beaten lice, it’s time to keep a watchful eye out for another few weeks. Lice are stubborn and resistant, and even the best-medicated shampoos may miss a spot or create another opportunity for reinfection. It’s a simple task to take a minute out of the day and look at a child’s scalp to see if there are any tell-tale signs of lice. Because the bugs spread in group settings, it can be a battle to make sure they are eradicated. Watchfulness and medicated shampoo are the formulas to keep repeating. If you are patient and follow directions, you’ll eventually beat the bug. Just remember that it’s not the child’s or your fault. It’s just one of those life things that reminds us that we all share the same planet.