By now you might have seen my (several) frantic FB posts about Head Lice as we had an Invasion. To say I had a freak-out would be a grand understatement.
When Megan (our fantastic Au Pair) called last week to let me know that we had The Lice I issued forth instructions for the house to be burned down beds to be stripped, teddy bears washed, towels changed, furniture vacuumed and all brushes to be boiled. I then, from Crisis Centre, aka the safety of my office at work, called the closest pharmacy, gave them Etienne’s credit card number and cleaned their shelves of any and all products recommended by FB. And a metal nit comb.
I then started scratching. Straight after I called the school and aftercare and asked them to burn check the mattresses the kids lie on in the afternoons,
By the time got I home that day my instructions had been followed to the letter and I was greeted by 3 bemused children with significantly less hair than they started the day off with thanks to a certain metal nit comb. BUT. Order was re-established, or so I thought.
Over the course of the next few days there was more scratching and embracing of our inner baboons (thanks for that one Katrina) until Megan and our Norma discovered the rest of the Family Nit happily living on the kids’ heads. So we kicked it up a notch.
Once again, from the safety of Crisis Centre, after much googling, I issued forth instructions for heads to be covered with olive oil and glad-wrapped, left for 45 minutes and then nit-combed and washed. I believe I might also have issued forth instruction that they may watch TV, “I don’t care, as long as they sit still and it gets done”.
3 days in a row, with a rinse and repeat of the bedding, towels, teddy bears, furniture and brush boiling. Every. Single. Day. You can never be too careful you know.
And then I found more of the fuckers in Mignon’s head last weekend, which meant that I spent Sunday evening, after our disastrous Sunday shopping expedition literally picking nits from hair. Never has “nit picking” had more meaning for me than it has the last week or so.
For now it seems things have calmed down, but I’m not taking any chances. I made Etienne check my head again last night and I’m scratching as I type this just at the thought of it. I want to run screaming when the kids approach me for a hug and lay their heads lovingly next to mine. I’m long-distance hugging my own children!
Just for your info, we started with the Picksan on the left as well as a a leave-in spray (not in the picture), but I really like the Treet-It kit, I highly recommend it for preventative treatment too. Apologies for the bad pic!
Ps: True to my overactive Working-Mother guilt I considered taking half a day leave to sort it out, but I know I need to depend on my support structure. Hard though.
Pps: speaking of awkward, I received a lovely R400 speeding fine last week which Mignon was clutching this morning, desperate to “take the picture of Mommy’s car when it went too fast” to show the teacher. Over my dead body.
Ppps: I joined the gym, post to follow. And yes, I can see you laughing in the corner over there.