Don’t panic!

Getting rid of lice is not as traumatic as it may seem. And with the simple advice below I can help you rid your child’s scalp of those nasty parasites.

What Are Headlice?

A head louse is a tiny greyish brown parasite.  Headlice cling to hair but are usually found on the scalp as they live on blood from your childs scalp.  A headlice life cycle is about a month.  The female lice will lay eggs (‘nits’) that can be found firmly attached to hair close to the scalp.  The eggs look like sesame seeds and are difficult to remove.

Headlice do not jump or fly, they crawl from person to person.  Headlice love clean or dirty hair, it is a myth that they only like dirty hair.

What Are The Symptoms?

Intense itching on the scalp and a rash may occur around the nape of the neck.

What To Look For?

I find the best way to look for headlice is to get the person to sit somewhere where you have plenty of light.  I normally start searching behind the ears and the nape of the neck, sectioning the hair as you go along, searching the whole scalp.  You will easily find the headlice and their eggs.

Remember when looking for headlice keep an eye out for a tiny, greyish brown insect and as for the eggs, small sesame seed like eggs that are very difficult to move.

Treatment For Head Lice

There are many products on the market for getting rid of lice – which can make choosing the right product very hard. Personally I’ve found the best headlice remedy to use when a child is infested is to avoid these products altogether.

Instead, simply wash and rinse your childs hair. Then lather their hair with conditioner and use a normal comb to work through the hair first, taking out any knots.

Then with conditioner still in the hair, switch to a proper headlice comb which has much finer teeth.  Thoroughly comb through the hair section by section covering the whole scalp.  With each stroke, check the comb for any living lice. If you find any, wash the comb out or wipe the comb on a piece of kitchen towel.

I then follow up with the next treatment 1 day later, and continue to do this until there are no signs of any parasites and eggs. I know this may sound time consuming but it is well worth the effort.

Keep in mind that you also have to wash hairbrushes using boiling water. I also recommend changing their pillow cases daily.  There’s no need to go over board.   But always keep vigilant.

Over my years of being a nanny I have found that headlice become immune to any chemical treatments that are on the market, so no method is 100% safe. But I use the simple method above and it has always worked wonders for getting rid of lice without using any nasty chemicals.

The important thing is to discuss the expected duties openly in advance and agree what these should be. All potential nannies will expect this discussion so please don’t feel uncomfortable about it. It may help to make a list of your requirements before interviewing nannies.

You can expect a nanny to prepare meals for your children, to dress them, do laundry for the children, keep their areas tidy, and transport them to and from nurseries, schools or other outings.

But you will probably want a little more from your nanny.

A good nanny should also plan and arrange projects for mental stimulation such as arts and crafts, as well as other activities to help with your childrens developmental needs.

Food is very important in early development, so a nanny should plan and provide nutritious meals and snacks, and be aware of any health issues. They should provide firm but loving discipline – always working with you and keeping lines of communication open.

You will of course want to stay informed about your childrens day. This can easily be achieved through a daily diary or verbally with you at the end of the day.

It is important to check a nanny is keeping her skills up to date, so always ensure a nanny has a current First Aid certificate.

A nannies duties do not however normally include general household duties for the rest of the family. A good nanny is very unlikely to have any spare time in the day.

Her primary focus will and should always be providing the best nurturing care for your children during the time you are not with them.

There are 3 main types of nanny, and you will probably already have decided which of these you will need:-

• Live In Nanny
• Sole Charge
• Mothers Help

As the name suggest a ‘Live In Nanny’ lives with your family, working five days with the odd night of babysitting.  A ‘Mothers Help’ works alongside a mother as her extra pair of hands. Whilst a ‘Sole Charge’ nanny works in place of the parent while they are away at work for example.

Hours, days, holidays and any babysitting duties are discussed and agreed in advance, so each job differs. Typically a nanny assignment is for 5 days a week.

Baby sitters however provide temporary care for your children, usually in the evening when the parents are out.  A babysitters duty may simply be to care for your children whilst they are asleep. Or the babysitter may be required to prepare an evening meal, bath the children, entertain them in the evening and put them to sleep. The level of duties will likely vary with childcare experience.

Parents with a nanny may use them for babysitting duties, or use other childcare professionals which they may already know or have hired from a babysitting company. It is also quite common to use the teenager next door, but please be wary of minimum legal age limits to be able to babysit.

And that’s OK. This is someone you need to feel happy and comfortable about being around your home and your children.

So take your time. And trust your instincts.