It's a word that can strike fear into the heart of any school-age child's mom: lice. They are easy to forget about, then you hear a rumor that they have invaded some child's hair and instantly you start inexplicably itching. Now, I'm not afraid of a little bug-it's the big, hairy ones that totally freak me out--but I'm deathly afraid of the consequences of lice. First, the stigma of incessant head scratching. Then, the inability to defeat them--treatment after treatment after treatment. And finally, what I dread the most: non-stop cleaning. Wash the bedding, the clothes, the toys, the entire house, then do it again and when you think you are done, do it a few more times. Otherwise...they're baaack!
The kiddo has wild and crazy curly hair; a perfect home for a clan of insidious little creatures. Perfect, because it would be a herculean task to evict them. Remember, I'm lucky if I can get a comb or brush through the kiddo's hair without her squirming and fidgeting and complaining. She could handle a shorter 'do, but I have heard from some moms that the last--and best--resort is to shave the kid's head. Kind of like deforestation--the little buggers have nowhere to go. The kiddo would be devastated, and, honestly, so would I. I love her curly hair. (Really. Well, it's kind of a love-hate thing.)
So, in the hope of never, ever, ever having to deal with them, I have been squirting the kiddo's head with Lice Shield Leave In Spray. I can honestly say that so far it has worked, but there were no lice outbreaks in her school that I heard of this past year, so I don't really know. What I do know is that I don't want to take any chances, plus, in the warmer weather, it seems to help repel other annoying bugs like mosquitoes and gnats. I'm keeping it, especially since I'm itchy just writing this post.
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