happyhomemaker Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 (edited) Ok ds's birthday party is Saturday. Hs cousins can't make it to the party, but we are planning to have them over for dinner that night instead. My sister tells me today that her girls were treated for lice this past weekend at xBIL's house. I guess she was embarrassed to mention it before now. She says the kids have been treated and have been in school, but she understands if we don't want them to come over. I have never dealt with lice before. Is it safe to have them come over? My sister has sanitized her house and her dh is pretty vigilant about health and sanitary matters. I dont want to say no if it would really be fine, but I have no idea. Thoughts? Edited October 18, 2012 by happyhomemaker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Since she gave you an easy out, I'd be waiting a little longer to be sure they are gone. (shudder) I'm paranoid. I fully recognize my inability to trust other people on this particular issue. I also admit to having something very close to a phobia about lice and other similar organisms. Anyone here (or elsewhere) is free to call me a freak. I know my limits. I enjoy not having feelings of anxiety. I've held off on visits with friends who were recovering from this particular phenomena in the past. Thankfully, no one ever held it against me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jpoy85 Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 I would say no because what if they missed one in the car or a jacket or a shirt and then they are at your house. NO WAY. I have a phobia of Lice, Bedbugs and Fleas. Those suckers are HARD to get rid of! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 No! Even if she was super careful and did everything right, at this point she can't know if it's really gone. Wait at least a month!:auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenMama Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 I would hold off - better safe than sorry. I'm sure your friend would love to turn back time and avoid this herself if she could. Public places are one thing, but in a house full of carpets and upholstery - no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 No way! Unless these are people you won't get to see for a very long time...no way!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 The only compromise I can think of is going OUT for dinner somewhere. Maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandymom Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 (edited) I would have them over without a second thought. I was a school nurse for 6 years in a school where lice were frequent among the student population (demographics made it more common). I have checked so many heads that contained lice (and lots of them sometimes) that I can not even count. Lice don't care me. They aren't something I want for me or my family, but there are a lot of myths out there about them. Edited October 18, 2012 by mandymom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhomemaker Posted October 18, 2012 Author Share Posted October 18, 2012 I would have them over without a second thought. I was a school nurse for 6 years in a school where lice were frequent among the student population (demographics made it more common). I have checked so many heads that contained lice (and lots of them sometimes) that I can not even count. Lice don't care me. They aren't something I want for me or my family, but there are a lot of myths out there about them. So would you say yes because you think it's unlikely that we would get them or because it's not really that big of a deal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhomemaker Posted October 18, 2012 Author Share Posted October 18, 2012 Thanks for the replies, everyone! I was leaning toward saying no, but then I called my mom and she acted like it would be fine. :confused: She is normally very particular with illnesses and contagious things so that made me think maybe I was overreacting. I will run this by dh tonight, but I think I already know what his vote will be. I can't imagine him wanting to call in absent to work because of lice, but it would give him the excuse he's been looking for to shave his head. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Absolutely have them over! They've been treated. You know the family to be conscientious. It's extremely unlikely that they'll be passed on. You and your family are likely exposed to lice with some frequency in various public places -- you just don't *know* about it. While lice gross people out, they aren't actually passed around *that* easily, and it *is* possible to treat for them adequately and get rid of them. There's no reason to think there's any particular danger in this case. If it were me, I would put tea tree oil in the kids' shampoo and wash their hair with it before the cousins come over (within a day). Then, after they leave, I'd wash again and use a blowdryer to *thoroughly* dry their hair. Otherwise, just relax. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheerioKid Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Absolutely have them over! They've been treated. You know the family to be conscientious. It's extremely unlikely that they'll be passed on. You and your family are likely exposed to lice with some frequency in various public places -- you just don't *know* about it. While lice gross people out, they aren't actually passed around *that* easily, and it *is* possible to treat for them adequately and get rid of them. There's no reason to think there's any particular danger in this case. If it were me, I would put tea tree oil in the kids' shampoo and wash their hair with it before the cousins come over (within a day). Then, after they leave, I'd wash again and use a blowdryer to *thoroughly* dry their hair. Otherwise, just relax. :) :iagree: We've had lice before, rather I should say I'VE had lice...my kids were too little to really have enough hair to make it a problem. I babysat a little girl who had treated and thought it was done, but wasn't. Honestly, getting rid of them wasn't that difficult, and I'm not the greatest housekeeper. If you are concerned about it, check each of them discreetly when they arrive (or if you trust the mom to do an honest job of it, have her check before they come, and have them prepared not to stay if they have crawlers). If you're worried about coats and such having eggs or lice, discreetly put their coats in another room in a plastic bag while they are there. DD was sitting next to her friend in church one Sunday, shoulder to shoulder, when I noticed lice were swarming through the little girl's hair. I nudged Erica and told her to give her a few inches and told the mom about it afterward, but we never had an infestation from that exposure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Since she gave you an easy out, I'd be waiting a little longer to be sure they are gone. (shudder) I'm paranoid. I fully recognize my inability to trust other people on this particular issue. I also admit to having something very close to a phobia about lice and other similar organisms. Anyone here (or elsewhere) is free to call me a freak. I know my limits. I enjoy not having feelings of anxiety. I've held off on visits with friends who were recovering from this particular phenomena in the past. Thankfully, no one ever held it against me. :iagree: This is me. It's probably not entirely necessary to be so cautious, but I'm a bit paranoid about these types of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollie* Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 My 10 yr old got lice this summer. I was horrified because of the impression I usually get when I hear about it. We did treatments in home ourselves and used that tea tree oil and did they full deep cleaning of EVERYTHING we could think of, including car, threw away hair accessories, brushes, towels... But I was told that, contrary to popular belief, lice love clean hair! Now I encourage the girls to skip a day or two from washing their hair, and me, too!! Then I called everyone we had been in contact with that week just to warn them. I was embarrassed, but had the shoe been on the other foot, I would have wanted to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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