Mom’s and Dad’s First Reaction
My kid has lice! Where did I go wrong?!
Here’s an important fact about lice: they prefer clean hair. That’s right, lice are actually attracted to frequently washed scalps. They have an easier time laying eggs on and grasping relatively clean, oil-free hair.
So the answer is, you didn’t go wrong. In fact, you have probably been doing things right.
But isn’t it filthy to have lice on your hair?
There is no question that you want to remove lice once discovered. However, just to put lice in perspective, they are a major nuisance but not major health risk. Lice don’t carry diseases the way mosquitos do (now there’s a truly deadly and filthy bug). Mostly they just make you itch.
If left untreated for a long period of time, people will sometimes scratch their own scalps raw, which may result in infection. That is the single most likely negative health consequence of lice. However, if your child was just found today with lice, you are almost definitely in no such danger.
It just seems creepy.
It’s true, nobody wants to carry a small colony of bugs in their hair. But remember, your children are going to take their cues from you. If you panic needlessly and make a big deal, then they are going to feel more stigmatized when they go back to school.