Hello. Sarah speaking.
Hello, Sarah. This is Nelly. How are you going?
Good. I was meant to call you but I got very busy. I am sorry. The kids are keeping me busy all the time and now that Nora is going to attend school next week, my life will get even busier.
I almost forgot that she turned five last month. Is she excited about going to school?
Yes, she is. She will be the first child to attend primary school in the family. She is bossing everyone around at home including me.
Oh, that’s funny. She is a happy child.
I am sure she is. She gets anything she wants. Things were different when we were young. I am only worried about one thing when she starts school.
What is it?
Head lice. I am worried that she may get head lice from other students at school. I always check her hair to make sure she doesn’t have any head lice problem.
I know how you feel. I have three boys in primary school and sometimes it is a problem here in the house. They sometimes say that most of their friends have head lice and I start to panic.
I contacted the school and they gave me some information on head lice. I have learned that parents mustn’t send a child to school if he or she has head lice.
Yes, that’s true. The schools want to control head lice. They always mention in their school newsletters that a certain class has a head lice problem so other parents can check their children’s hair as well. They ask parents to notify the school immediately if they detect head lice in their children’s hair so the school can take precautions.
So it’s a big problem then.
Yes, it is. They ask parents to keep their children at home until the problem ends.
But why is it such a big problem at schools?
Well, because children stay in class for a long time. They play, cuddle, touch each other and work closely together.
I also heard that the children get their hair checked inside school sometimes every week.
Yes. They take it seriously. They also ask girls with long hair to attend school with hair tied back. Schools ask parents to give them information on how the treatment at home is going on. When it started and how well it is going.
I also heard that every school has a head lice policy that it must follow.
Yes, the head lice policy gives schools guidelines to follow so they know what to do if there is a head lice problem at any time.
I heard that they also teach children about what to do if they have a head lice problem.
Yes, they want to educate children so they don’t bully or tease others who have a head lice problem.
And what can I do if she gets lice?
Well, she will surely get this problem at some stage at school. All kids get head lice. I haven’t heard of anyone who hasn’t got it. Luckily there are different things you can do.
Like what?
Early detection is the first thing. It will save you a lot of time. Once a child starts to itch his or her head, it’s a good idea to check the hair straight away.
How can I check the hair?
You can use a fine comb. It is the best way to see if your son or daughter has lice. You can catch a big number of lice by using a fine comb. You can get a comb from any pharmacy.
Is there any thing else I can do?
Yes, if you don’t want to use a comb, you can use a lotion that you can buy at the pharmacy. There are different chemicals you can use. They are sold at similar prices and do the same job.
How many times do I need to use these chemicals?
You can use a chemical one time. Then you have to wait for seven days before you use it again.
Why do I need to wait seven days? Is it too strong?
Well, it is strong and it kills the lice but the problem is that lice lay eggs and these eggs hatch in seven days and then you have the same problem starting again.
I see. Is there any thing I have to be careful about?
Yes, be careful to cover your daughter’s eyes and not let the chemical touch it.
Is there a good web site that I can go to to have more information on head lice?
Yes, there is a good one that I used a few months ago. It is www.health.vic.gov.au/headlice. I am sure you will find it useful.
And if I need information that I can’t find on this web site. What can I do?
Well, you can seek medical help if your daughter gets hair lice for a long time or if the treatment doesn’t work. Doctors can recommend a different treatment then.
I think I will have a look at the web site and go from there.
Good luck. Listen. I have to go now. There is a handy man coming to fix the front door in a minute or two. I will talk to you soon.
All right. Thanks for your help. Take care.
I will. Bye.
Bye.
