[Expletive Deleted] Lice!

I discovered inhabitants in T's hair, the other day, so it's been a mad rush to get some Critter-B-Gone, treat the house, wash the linens... Or it would be if it weren't so perishing hot. Thanks to the Annoying Orange and his pals, I have no doubt.

I've found through years of Spoonlessness that simply treating the kids' hair frequently is enough to get rid of them. At least until the next time they pick the little buggers up.

The whole house has them. Hubby and I shaved our heads. He did it before I did. I wanted to keep my purple hair, but in the end I couldn't stand the itching. This leaves us with treating K and T with a bulk family pack of Critter-B-Gone hair lotion.

The problem is - T has really long hair. Like, down to the small of her back, long. We've wanted to take her to a hairdresser to get it cut to shoulder length (or shorter), but you can't take your kid to the hairdressers if that kid has lice. And further to our embuggerance is that T tried to cut her own hair again and ended up shortening a short lock that's been a pain in my arse since second grade. Plus side- she cut it short enough so that we can plausibly get away with a version of the Beatle Cut, the Dutch Doll, the Prince Valiant or whatever they're calling that hairstyle now.

BUT... when T wakes up, we're at least trimming it to shoulder length to make the treatment a little bit easier. She has thick hair (my genes at work) and it's very difficult to get any hair goo into all the places it needs to reach.

And speaking of hair goo, I have a non-patented hair treatment to at least repel the bugs when your little darlings are going to school in a vector zone:

Louse Repellant Hair Spray

Implements

• Reliable spray bottle
• Combs of all varieties, including the metal-toothed critter comb

Ingredients

• 1 small bottle of water-soluble tea tree oil
• 1 ready supply of hair conditioner
• water
• (optional) water-soluble lavender oil or other aromatherapy style scent

Method

• Empty the tea tree solution into your spray bottle
• Add your scent if you're using it
• Add a generous amount of hair conditioner (equal or more to the tea tree oil)
• Almost fill the bottle with with water and add your sprayer head
• Shake well

Spray your kids' hair with this liberally and comb through, finishing with the old-fashioned critter comb. The solution tends to settle between uses, so shake until cloudy before each application. Leave it in for the school day.

The hair conditioner makes it easier to comb through, as well as making it difficult for new critters to stay in your little darlings' hair. The tea tree oil also tends to suffocate the little bastards, so you have yourself a double-whammy.

This mixture lasts forever and a week. If yours pick up critters like mine pick up critters, you'll run out before it has a chance to get manky or look suspicious.

(Picture © Can Stock Photo / lantapix Can Stock Photo / lantapix