Lice Infestation 101: How to Survive the Pesky Situation without Hurting Your Child's Pride
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there are between 6 and 12 million head lice infestations each year in children between the ages of 3 and 12. However, if your child has lice, panic can quickly set in. The important thing to remember is that you and your child can survive a lice infestation without hurting your child’s pride.
Stay Calm
Children learn from their parents and, if you panic because your child comes home with lice, they, too, will panic. Instead, reassure your child that lice are actually very common among children their age and that, while they may cause a little itching, they are not dangerous. If your child is …show more content…
Many children often feel embarrassed by the situation, but in truth, there is no reason to be. Lice do not differentiate between clean or dirty. Let your child know that lice will live on anyone where they can feed. Along with this, teach your child how they transfer from one person to another and what the lifecycle is. The more your child knows about them and the less likely they will be to be embarrassed about having them.
Involve Them in Treatment Plan
After you educate your child on lice, discuss the various treatment plans. As part of the treatment advise your child that they will need to be patient while their hair is being combed. You may wish to provide them with a special activity if they can sit still while their hair is being combed to remove nits and lice. For many children, the idea of extra television or tablet time may be all that is needed as incentive to sit for a long period of time while you are treating the infestation.
Heartland Healthy Heads, a lice removal and resource center, advises everyone to end the stigma and end the myths about lice. Lice are something almost every parent of school-aged children must deal with at some point. By educating yourself and your child about lice, you can both remain calm about the situation and choose a treatment plan that will not leave them in
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there are between 6 and 12 million head lice infestations each year in children between the ages of 3 and 12. However, if your child has lice, panic can quickly set in. The important thing to remember is that you and your child can survive a lice infestation without hurting your child’s pride.
Stay Calm
Children learn from their parents and, if you panic because your child comes home with lice, they, too, will panic. Instead, reassure your child that lice are actually very common among children their age and that, while they may cause a little itching, they are not dangerous. If your child is …show more content…
Many children often feel embarrassed by the situation, but in truth, there is no reason to be. Lice do not differentiate between clean or dirty. Let your child know that lice will live on anyone where they can feed. Along with this, teach your child how they transfer from one person to another and what the lifecycle is. The more your child knows about them and the less likely they will be to be embarrassed about having them.
Involve Them in Treatment Plan
After you educate your child on lice, discuss the various treatment plans. As part of the treatment advise your child that they will need to be patient while their hair is being combed. You may wish to provide them with a special activity if they can sit still while their hair is being combed to remove nits and lice. For many children, the idea of extra television or tablet time may be all that is needed as incentive to sit for a long period of time while you are treating the infestation.
Heartland Healthy Heads, a lice removal and resource center, advises everyone to end the stigma and end the myths about lice. Lice are something almost every parent of school-aged children must deal with at some point. By educating yourself and your child about lice, you can both remain calm about the situation and choose a treatment plan that will not leave them in