This post was inspired by my children. Sometimes I just sit and look at them, feeling like the luckiest woman in the world to have such gorgeous, funny creatures to call my own. Sure, they may forage for the odd bogey or two whilst I’m intruding upon their private moments but not even that could put me off them.
Then I see it.
A quick scratch of the head and then, 30 seconds later, the other one will do the same. Hoping I’m wrong in my assumptions, I wait and witness the repetition of the act once more. My heart sinks. Shit. It can only mean one thing. Nits!
Those little creepy bastards are the bane of my existence. I remember the first time we got THE note home from school…
Dear Parents & Carers, this class has headlice concerns blah blah blah…
I was slightly cocky in my thinking that it couldn’t possible affect my daughter though; we’re a good family, we wash our hair regularly and with shampoo too. We pay our taxes and give to charity, but no, upon closer inspection there they were. The plague had descended upon our household.
After a quick trip to the chemist shrieking like a mad woman, ‘Give me the very best thing you’ve got for nits!’ whilst at the same time single handedly creating a 6 foot exclusion zone around me in an already packed shop, we had what we needed. I suited up with face masks, plastic gloves and apron and commenced. After the first strokes I threw up in my mouth a little as a bunch of brown, wiggling things got caught in my plastic teeth assault. They had been living in my baby’s hair, hair that was nearly down to her bum. It took nearly forever to get every single one out, but just when you think you’ve finished, up turns another one.
I lay awake that night thinking about the demon creatures and just wondered what exactly was their purpose. I concluded they have NO point on this earth other than to seriously piss us parents off. No longer do I ‘armour up’ when Nit fighting, that used to it I have got. It now seems like every term one or the other, or both, come home home scratching. Pick a potion, any potion, we’ve tried them ALL. I always tie their hair up tight to their heads, at one point I used Tea Tree oil or Lavender as a repellent on their scalp, all that achieved was my kids smelling like Nan’s knicker drawer and having super greasy hair. Some of these, very expensive, products do help somewhat but nothing, and I mean nothing, beats an intensive washing and combing session every two days for a week.
Have you been affected by Nits? Have you had them? What’s your battle strategy? Let’s unite as parents of the affected and figure out how to deal with this. Why, oh why, does Nitty Nora the Bug Explorer not visit schools anymore? Just why? If it’s the names we call her, we can stop right? Ok, maybe not but we still want, nay need, her there. I’ve become such a pro at spotting kids with it in the playground that I have actually approached parents and told them about the enemy in the undergrowth..
I’m not very popular at school.
This post is linked to the Ordinary Moments
