I heard it at preschool the other day. It hadn't even been on my radar for many years, I think by high school it is a distant memory for most of us, and as an adult it hadn't figured in my life at all. But boy, it is a word that has a lot of stigma. To be branded with this, whether it was true or not, was something not lived down for many years.
I think you know what I am talking about....thats right... NITS. Head-lice. Is this what Americans call cooties (or are cooties just a general term for some kind of 'germs' that an undesirable person suffers from?)?
| Heres a close up of the little bastards. |
I was confronted by a huge noticeboard as I took my son to preschool - WE HAVE NITS GOING AROUND. You could see the parents visibly shudder as the implications of this news shook them to the core. I was thinking, what the hey? Nits? Are they still going strong? They sucked the fat sav when I was at school, and they must be just as bad now. I cannot believe no-one has eradicated such a much-maligned curse in the last 20 years. I mean, think of the technological and scientific advancement that has taken place, yet our children are still afflicted with dirty old nits.
I have been checking my sons hair scrupulously every day (hmm, is your head itchy yet?) as I live in fear. I live in fear more than most other parents as my son, more often than not, ends up in our bed during the night. So I am not so fearful for his sake, but mine. Imagine if, at the age of 30, I got nits? (is your head itchy now, sort of behind your ears?).
I have been doing a bit of research into nit treatments, and none of them sound too appealing. Not from rubbing some mayo on my head, to the full scale chemical attack. I heard that hair straighteners do a pretty good job of sizzling the little beasts, and frying their eggs. And remember those very fine toothed combs that leave you half bald? I can just imagine how difficult it would be to get Master 3 to sit still for that long.
My plan of attack is simple - prevention. I will be shaving my sons head.
| I'll leave you to have a good head scratch now |
