Hurrah - We have nits!

Ok, so I'm not opening the Cava, but I've always been so irritated by those who think there's a stigma to catching something that is beyond our control. There's no shame to catching a cold, so why head-lice? And what annoys me most are people who think they "couldn't possibly" catch them because they are "clean", so they aren't vigilant, and when then do get nits they don't do the decent thing and immediately tell family, friends and the school. Oh no, that would be far to embarrassing, they treat themselves, their kids and keep shtum so everyone else suffers too.

I've just got off the phone to the friend we played with after nursery, to the couple who came for dinner last night and I'll be first at school tomorrow passing on the glorious news. We've washed our hair with tea-tree oil* and thoroughly combed out all lice and eggs and I'll repeat tomorrow. In fact there's something quite mesmerising about examining hair and scalp so closely; hunting your prey, then squashing the bug under your nail til he pops. Comb, comb, comb. Trap. Pop. trance. I think I perversely enjoyed it. I'm a geniune nit picker. Ha.
In fact maybe I will celebrate tomorrow. Ruben was quite traumatised, I don't think I approached the whole business from the best angle. So perhaps I'll give us a prize for winning friends as these. Make out it's a lucky thing. Actually I do have some fizzy wine that never got drunk at New Year. Perhaps now is the moment. After I've washed all the sheets.

*Most head-lice treatments are horribly noxious and the nits are constantly developing immunity. Tea-tree oil kills nits and works as a preventative if a few drops are put in with shampoo (I'd got out of the habit recently hence probably why we got them). But most important is combing. Even the pharmaceutical versions can't kill the eggs so you must comb. I put lots of conditioner on when combing, made it lots easier. See here and here for more advice on head-lice and children. There's also a mayonnaise version!