Lice Related- WWYD

[crazygame]

On Sunday, I found lice on my daughter. We went to a "lice salon" and they found some on me and my son too. We were all professionally treated and I haven't found any nits or bugs on us since. Obviously we have also cleaned our house.    

I gave notice to daycare. There are now six kids at daycare that have been found with lice on them. The daycare has a professional coming in to do head checks on all the kids and they are getting the carpets cleaned.

I know there is no way that it can ever be shown that we were the first family with lice and that we caused this, but I feel so bad and ashamed. Would you make a donation to the daycare to offset the costs? Buy lunch for the staff for the added stress? Do something else?

I have apologized profusely and the director has been great at not throwing blame our way, but I feel sick about this. 

[countthestars]

I wouldn't assume you were the first ones. Try not to worry - lice happen ALL the time.

[ryry]

I wouldn't worry too much. I totally understand the feeling of guilt, but really, this is not your fault. You didn't intentionally do anything, even if you were the first. A treat for the staff is always appreciated, but it's certainly not necessary.

Unrelated, but if I remember correctly your daughter has really curly hair like mine, right? I'm terrified of lice because of the curls...since I can't run a comb through her hair (unless it's wet and well conditioned...) I'm not sure how I would handle lice.

[longtimenopost]

I would be pissed my DD got lice at daycare and mad at whoever didn't fess up, lol.

[sjh722]

It happens. Don't feel bad.

[meij]

You did the right thing by notifying them right away so they could get it taken care of. I'd say if you wanted to send in a box of bagels or cookies or something for the staff with a note of thanks, it'd be appreciated but certainly not expected. Oh! Maybe buy them one of those nice metal lice combs for their checks lol.

It went through the daycare I worked at and my DD attended and the only reason the staff and director were upset at patient zero was because she randomly said to one of the staff members who was babysitting for her that they had been fighting lice since July (it was October). She was a SAHM so her kids didn't attend in the summer so hadn't picked it up at daycare. Everyone was upset she'd been sending her kids to daycare with nits the past two months and not cared not that it happened.





ETA I dont know why you assume you are patient zero if six other kids had it? There is no way of knowing.

[anna7602]

Do not feel guilty! Is there anywhere else your kids go? I would just spend the mental and physical energy on making sure anywhere their heads are in contact with other kids' heads are notified- extracurriculars like yoga or gymnastics where they use mats, etc.

And then sit back and know you've done the responsible thing by treating them, treating yourself and alerting others in the places where your kids might have picked up the lice.

Also, as I type this, my head is suddenly itching like crazy. The very word "lice" makes me paranoid I've picked it up again!!!!

[speckledfrog]

I'm guessing you were just the first to find the lice. I wouldn't do anything and as a former child care teacher I wouldn't expect anything.

[longtimenopost]

Jun 24, 2015 9:33:09 GMT -5 @this said:

Jun 24, 2015 9:24:58 GMT -5 longtimenopost said:

I would be pissed my DD got lice at daycare and mad at whoever didn't fess up, lol.

I can't tell if this is sarcasm or not.

Ha I'm serious. I have enough stress without taking on the responsibility of assuming we were patient zero and feeling all kinds of guilt about it when that's something I could never know! I wouldn't be seriously pissed, just irritated. 

[sarahsas]

Don't feel bad. As someone who works in a school, it happens frequently. We have had families NOT report that their kids have lice- that is what sucks. Then precautions can't be taken and it spreads like wildfire.