Friday, January 20, 2012

Nit Picking......

Since school began we have had a plague of head lice in our home. We've done everything we know how to rid the children of this besetting plague but have had no success. They've been sent home from school repeatedly and we've even gone to the doctor to get prescription shampoo. I've laundered bedding, clothing and sprayed everything they ever touch to no avail. Wednesday was the last straw! I even got a call from the Speech Therapist the girls see to tell me that they had nits in their hair. I declared war on head lice!

It's been nearly impossible to rid the girls of nits because their hair was so long and curly and really frayed on the ends. It became futile to even try using those blessed nit combs you get with the shampoo. So I took matter into my own hands...

We decided to cut their hair short so that removal of nits would be a simple task! Or so we thought! We took them to two hair cutting places and neither would accept them. They saw nits in their hair and sent us packing. So we brought them home, sat each one in the chair and I cut their hair short. Why, oh why did I struggle so long with this process. I wanted to keep their hair long for their mom, but it was a battle I simply wasn't winning, and I won't be outwitted by a brainless louse!

Here was our process....I cut their hair, we slathered their heads in mayonnaise and covered them with shower caps. They wore that for 2.5 hours. We shampooed their heads and then began the most tedious process of 'nit picking'! Finally after a couple of hours, Bill and I were worn to a frazzle and the girls were exhausted from standing. Jordan's hair was easy! I borrowed clippers from our neighbor and buzzed his hair.

Now, on top of all this work, I washed everything, and I mean everything, in a two hour sanitizer wash and put it through the dryer on Heavy Duty for several spins. Almost nothing has thread left to it.

Last night we sat them under my craft lights again and picked through their hair (the girls, not Jordan because he no longer has much hair). Actually I was quite pleased! Apparently we had done a wonderful job the night before and found only three nits on their hair.

I'm singing "Hallelujah" tonight for sure!!!

So I took some pictures of the "new" do's and they are so cute....

Our handsome dude has the longest eyelashes known to man kind, but a short "do".


This is "the pose"! Aren't these two the cheekiest pair?



But they can be angelic when they try very hard...

Josslyn and Brielle

You can see that Brielle is now 1" taller than Josslyn and weights 1 pound more~


"The Dude" loves his race cars.....



That's it for tonight! I'm almost finished coloring T-shirts for the girls and they will model them tomorrow and I'll post those pictures....

Blessings and hugs,
Barb <><

17 comments:

  1. My kids never had them, but my grandchildren had them...first, if my kids brought a note home from school about someone having lice, my grandmother who had 12 children who never had them, told me to wash their hair and rinse it in vinegar, 1/2 vinegar 1/2 warm water. Now if they have them, got buy regular baby oil, dowse their hair completely dripping with oil, put a shower cap on their hair and let them sleep in it over night..then wash their hair in dawn dish soap. Spray all your furniture, bedding etc. combs....I put their bedsheets in plastic bag for 2 weeks tied tight...The baby oil works, if they have them really bad, you may have to do it another night, but I only had to do it for them once. A beautician an older woman told me about the baby oil and it works!!! And it's a whole lot cheaper :O) Hugs! Leah Ann

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  2. I am dreading the day my girls come home with 'em...I know it has to happen but man oh man, it'll be a nightmare!
    The girls look adorable and the little man is so handsome! Good luck!
    Rene :D

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  3. Oh Barb!
    I am really feeling for you. It must be a world wide thing as they have lots of problems here in Australia too. I thought it was the hot weather. Apparently the lice love clean hair not dirty hair. They are fussy little blighters.
    My brother had six children going to school and they were forever de-licing. I love their new hairstyles. Lets pray that this will put an end to it.
    Hugs Maz

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  4. Ooooh girl, I feel for you! One little boy in Isaiah's class had nits and I wasn't taking any chances, although the nurse said all the kids were okay (other than that one boy). I did the entire treatment and washed everything! I also heard that lice do not like Sauve Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner, so we switched and use that every day for preventative measures! I also run the comb through Isaiah's hair once a week!

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  5. Oh. My. Word! You poor, poor girl! My daughter had those little nightmares twice. She had super long, beautiful hair, but if there were two more of her...we would have had a date with that shaver too! LOL..OK Barb...I am crossing my fingers for you!

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  6. Hi I am a new follower. I sure feel your pain. My daughter had it 5 times in grade one. Omgoodness it's so much work. I fried every one of her barbies putting them through the dryer. LOL.
    Just make sure that you and your husband are checked as well.
    The kids are super cute!
    Take care and hope you are rid of those little beasties for good.
    candyscraftcorner.blogspot.com

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  7. Interesting post, this was really useful. thanks!

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  8. Oh my Barb. I guess sometimes it's tough when kids get lice and feel so sorry for you, Bill & the kids. With all the time and effort, I hope you can now sit back and relax. Enjoy your time at the craftroom and get some stamping therapy :o)
    Hugs,
    Cabio

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  9. I have to tell you a short story...My son's school had a big breakout of that also. It apparently has been huge this year! Anyway my son is old enough now to shower on his own so I send him into the shower and think nothing of it. Well he never washes his hair! He never got lice because they don't like dirty hair or heads! Ewww yeah, so now we make sure he shampoos at least a few times a week and the lice thing is over at school. Anyway great job and great idea - their hair cuts are adorable! Beautiful children all three of them :)

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  10. OH! my, this is the kind of war I would dread... it is a real nightmare. thank God you found a solution, and got rid of them.
    sad for the long hair, but the girls look cute with short curly hair!
    Hugs.

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  11. man sounds horrible, when I did a course in aromatherpy we were advised that gerainuim and and tee tree were great for them. maybe the orginal source shampoo might help keep them away.EE

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  12. Wow... blogger is finally letting me reach the comment page!!! Yay!! Oh my gosh, what a time you've had!! Matthew's school has had an outbreak a while ago and one of the little girls who had them was his good friend! Her Mom was mortified and frustrated because she tried everything too! Don't know what finally worked, but I'll remember this post if it ever happens to my two little guys!! LOL! The girls look absolutely adorable in the short hair... oh my, those looks.... I'd hate to see them with my Kaitlyn... we'd have a major problem!! LOL!!!! And Jordan looks so handsome, the short do suits him as well!!!!
    Hope everything improves!!!!!
    Hugs,
    Teri

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  13. Wow, Barb. I sure hope your battle is over, what a challenge and what a horrible mess. The up side is - their hair cuts are adorable. These are three of the most beautiful kids and I adore them just from your posts.
    Sue S.

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  14. Oh Barb, you poor thing. Tea tree oil or hairspray in the girls hair each time you wash for a while is supposed to deter the little horrors from returning, hopefully that's the last you'll see of them. On the other hand the short hair really suits them all . Wishing you a much less stressful week
    Hugs Julie P

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  15. Barb what little dolls!!!!!They are all so cute!!!!! Too bad about this mess!!!! Hopefully you will get rid of these soon!!!! Good luck !!!

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  16. Try using olive oil on the weekends to keep them out of their hair! I swear by it and it gives their hair such luster and conditions it! I rub a few tabls. through my grandson (long) hair and put a shower cap on him for a coupe of hours...I comb out before I shampoo and everything comes out!

    Hugs - RED

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  17. Yep, my daughter has gone through a battle with Lice - seems they are rampant in the schools today. Loved the pictures of the kids!!
    Sandy

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Hugs....Barb