Stop Lice-crimination: A Guide For Teachers Dealing With Head Lice

Of every adult in the world, a teacher comes face to face with lice the most. While parents will have to tackle just their kids’ lice epidemics, a primary teacher will see those critters several times in one lifetime.

If you are teaching any class that consists of students in toddler hood, adolescence or even pre-teens, there is a high chance one of them has head lice right this moment.

It’s not uncommon, this ever-lasting issue of head lice. In fact, up to 12 million childrenget lice each year. Therefore, if you spot lice in any of your student’s hair—relax. Breathe. Taking five minutes to grab a cup of coffee from the cafeteria will not make the lice worse.

Stigma At School

What you should NEVER do, is panic. As it happens, most adult often react badly when faced with lice. We are not talking about hand flailing, running around kind of bad reaction. It’s more subtle.

For instance, telling the kids to keep their hair tidy, isolating the child with the lice in their hair. Getting the school nurse to call up the parents, and then proceeding to be as condescending as possible to indicate that lice was somehow their fault.

These kinds of reactions are the height of victim-blaming. Lice have no preferences; they do not care for class, race, or hygiene. They do not care what kind of a home a kid belongs to. It’s a simple unfortunate event of a head-to-head contact, common in little kids, that causes the lice to take over.

Parents try their best to keep their kids as healthy and happy as possible, and shaming them for something that is out of their control does not help control the problem is any way.

The Empathic Way Around

So, to all the teachers, babysitters, nannies and caretakers out there, stop blaming the kids and the parents. A lice infestation is a simple, solvable problem. Get your school to hire professionals who can conduct lice screenings to contain the problem. Let only the parents of the kids know of it, and provide advice regarding a lice treatment.

In the meantime, educate the kids about head lice. They should know that they aren’t dirty because of lice, and advise against finger-pointing.

We’ve all been there to face these critters, and we’ve come out successful. You will too.

Lice Removal Pros offers professional lice removal services, employing safe and natural treatments. We also offer lice screenings in schools and camps throughout Kendall. Reach out to us at (800) 763-4026 to let us help you get rid of lice!