There’s life after lice! Let me start there. Just talking about this makes my head itch and I barely have any hair. Have you scratched your head yet? Yes, kids get lice and the funny thing is, lice like the clean heads best.
We had a bout with lice a few weeks back and I thought I would share this with you since the jackets are coming out due to cooler weather. Do you allow kids to pile up the coats as they arrive? Try placing them on the backs of chairs or on hooks you have provided on the wall. Insist on these things without speaking of your concern with sharing bugs.
It seemed like a fluke to the family that discovered the lice. I was totally shocked myself when mother called to report the news. As it turned out the child had the lice and gave it to her mother too. This was so frustrating for them. I know this because I have kids and they have had lice before. I even had it as a child. My mom had it easy. Just buzz my hair short and shampoo with the lice killing bug shampoo. Pick a few eggs off and I was good to go. (Are you scratching yet? I am!)
What do you do at church? Good news- lice die in 36 hours without a blood source. From Sunday afternoon to Wednesday evening, we simply stayed out of those rooms. The hard part was sending this note to homes of all kids attending that morning. It was the responsible thing to do!
Dear Parents,
This letter is to inform you of the possibility that your child was exposed to head lice during the Sunday morning activities on August 23rd. A parent of a child in one of your children’s ministry rooms reported it this morning.
Although lice cannot fly or jump to another person, lice are transferred by direct contact with another person who is infested. You would first notice nits attached to the hair very close to the scalp and usually at the nape of the neck. The nits are covered with a tiny bit of gelatinous material that hardens into a tiny white mass. If this is discovered on your child, please contact your doctor for instructions about treatment as well as our children’s ministry office.
It is our desire that all our children are safe and healthy. We know that it is impossible to prevent all accidents and illnesses; however, we ask that parents use the Golden Rule when determining church attendance for your child.
Children’s Ministry Team
What have you done in the past to deal with lice? Leave a comment and share your experience.
