“Don’t play with the neighbor’s kids, Jocelyn. They have lice because they don’t shower every day” Do you remember your mother saying another variation of this sentence to you, as a kid? Do you remember what comes after such an interaction? Somehow everybody in the school knows
that girl has lice, eww! And we all know what comes after… hint: playground bullying.
People, Stop with the Lice Shaming Already!
There is no way to sugarcoat this but some people enjoy other people’s misery. This isn’t truer for anything else than head lice. In fact search ‘Lice Shaming’ on Google and you will be shown pages upon pages on head lice shaming and why we shouldn’t do it. But… do we listen? Do we even care about another person’s woe? Nope.
U.S. Schools Are Giving Enough Fodder for Lice-Shaming, Why Are You?
Nothing will make your heart skip a beat more than a phone call from your child’s school nurse. Yes, not even the time when your husband went down on one knee. Or when your skin-fit jeans from before pregnancy fit you like a glove (okay, this is an exaggeration).
If you are a parent, that one phone call from the school’s nurse announcing your child has lice will shatter your world and bring untold distresses in the immediate future. In addition to being one of the most mortifying experiences possible, your child will be removed from premises ‘until further notice’.
Deborah Altschuler, president of the
National Pediculosis Association says, “People always associate head lice with dirtiness i.e.
Mrs. X must not keep her home clean and tidy because her kids have lice. This is an incorrect assumption to make.”
Contrary to Popular Misconception – Head Lice Isn’t Sign of Living in a Dirty Home!
With the rising tide of two-income families and even single parent families, the responsibility of looking after their children’s well-being and health lies on one parent, usually the mother. Equally demanding work and home lives may cause head lice detection to slip by from a parent’s notice! School nurses and administrations instead of embarrassing parents ‘how they could let this slip?’ we should be more supportive!
How Can We Forget When Ellen Humiliated Heidi Klum On National Television?
“Do you bathe? … Why are you booked here today? I don’t understand”
Yes, Heidi Klum and her kids had lice in 2015. Actually the German supermodel experienced two infestations in the same year! Cue for shocked faces and gasps. News flash: anyone can get head lice! Sneering new mothers, smug-looking teachers, and yes even your male gym instructor!
It’s important to understand the real solution here isn’t, “Oh, your friend has lice. Don’t share your hair accessories” but to change the stigma and bring acceptance and understanding to the equation. Then only can America truly become lice-free and proud. Visit the Lice Troopers salon for
lice cleaning services in Kendall and see our incredible girls in action, removing lice one head at a time!
