Head lice loves to visit children's sleep away camps!

My son came home the other day with a letter from his elementary school regarding sleep away camp.  He is so excited and I am just dreading it. He is looking forward to “boys being boys” and his mom not telling him what to do. Me, not so much! Head lice loves spreading through this fun filled week of kid togetherness.

Are your kids going to sleep away camp too?  How about summer camp?  Need advice on how to prevent your child from coming home with more than dirt under their nails?? Read on for these essential tips:

• Pack a fitted twin-size sheet to put on the camp mattress.  This prevents your child from getting lice if the camper using the bed before had lice.
• Tell your child not to sit or lay on anyone else’s bed and not to let their friends sit or lay on theirs.
• Don’t let your child sleep with another child, even if they are best friends!
• Teach your child not to share brushes and combs.  More lice is transferred this way than any other.
• Don’t share beanies, hats, or hoodies.
• Girls should keep their hair up in ponytails or braids so it has less contact with other kids hair and things.
• If it’s time for your son to get a buzz cut, a great time is prior to leaving – the shorter the better.

Camp doesn’t have to be scary for the parent. If you think your child has come home from camp with head lice, review the blog article “Does My Child Have Lice?”