Parent Poll: AISD Lice Inspections (Howe: home, schools, live)

[AusParent]

AISD currently conducts class (i.e group) lice inspections. If a student is determined to have lice, he/she is required to return to the classroom, collect his/her belongings and go home. Remaining students may realize the student has lice. A notice is sent home with remaining students to give to their parents.

As an AISD parent:

- Are you OK with class lice inspections in regards to privacy?
- If not, how can lice be better handled by AISD?

Thanks for your time on this poll.

[TexasHorseLady]

They never bothered me when my children were in school (AISD or elsewhere).

The idea is to avoid further exposure. The children are going to be aware that the child is gone no matter what you do, and lice, really, aren't anything to be ashamed of any more than a mosquito bite is - they're just something you take care of. (Pain in the derriere that it is to take care of them, and I've run the gamut of treatments in my time.)

What procedure do you think would be better?

[TexasGirl@Heart]

As a nurse, I totally understand what the AISD is doing to stop the spread of lice in schools. Lice can be a very problematic situation in a school.

However, having dealt with a lice infestation as a child, I would have died from embarrassment if my classmates had found out that I was home and being treated for lice. It was such a traumatic experience for me. I remember crying for weeks over it. My brother and his wife brought it into our home. I was so mad at them, telling them to never visit again. I had long hair down to my hips and my Grandmother cut it off to shoulder length

So ...back to topic...how can the schools handle this in a more sensitive way for the kids...not sure. Maybe they could offer lice inspections on a Saturday where kids get inspected. No matter what they all go home. Or if it's a matter of paying teachers/nurses to work on a Saturday , then maybe they could do it at the end of the school day and then again, all the children are going home again and no-one is the wiser.

[love roses]

Have it during the school day, but don't tell anyone what it's about and then if they find it on someone, have a volunteer go to that childs classroom and collect their things for them while they either wait in the nurses office or the main office. But really, there probably is no sensitive way to do it. Just because someone gets lice doesn't mean they don't keep themselves clean. I never had them, but both of my sisters have and they haven't had any lifelong trauma from it.

[TexasGirl@Heart]

If one child comes back and tells others they were inspected for lice then the others will know when someone doesn't return to the class. I think holding the inspections at the end of the school day would be more sensitive for the kids because after they are inspected, they can go home whether they have it or not.

I didn't have lifelong trauma over it, but I do remember it being very traumatic at the time. Plus the fact that all my long hair was cut off.

[johnrex62]

It seems to be a bit better than having the teacher do the inspection during class as it was when I was in grade school. The inspection was a class event and we all sat in our seats waiting our turn. Only the kids with suspect heads would be sent to the nurse and the rest of us would open our math book and keep working afterwards.

[love roses]

That's a good plan, but it would be even better if they did it right before the weekend. That way noone would be aware of who had it or not because they could treat it over the weekend. I guess getting all of your hair cut off would be a trauma in itself, or at least a very great shock My mom was a meanie. She always made me have short hair because I always fussed too much when she fixed it and brushed it when I had it longer.

[TexasHorseLady]

I think it becomes an issue when the adults in the children's lives make it an issue.

We didn't cut off all of my daughter's extremely long hair (never been cut and only trimmed once or twice in her life) when we had that situation. Just got extra lice "stuff" and were extra careful while treating. Knowing how attached I've always been to my long hair, there was no way I was going to make her cut it off.

Also, we were educated enough to know, as loves roses points out, that it has nothing to do with cleanliness at all.

By the way, did you know that hair dye will get rid of lice quite thoroughly? I discovered that accidentally when we were going through it with my daughter and I happened to be due to dye my hair.

[HappyTexan]

I'm for it. It serves a purpose. I hope the schools don't get all PC about it because parents get upset.

[jeffari-al-texani]

Just shave all the kids heads...problem solved...

of course, it will look like an episode of Kung Fu...but that wouldn't be all bad...