Bugs

My assistant/lice-checker was out unexpectedly today, so I had to fill in during check-in. Not to fear, I thought; I'd been told by everyone around me that since this camp began 3-4 years ago, lice has never been found at check-in. So, leave it to the Lice Nazi, myself, to find the first case. I hate sending kids home from school with lice, but it's even worse when they're on summer vacation and staring at you with puppy dog eyes as you tell them they need to take their overstuffed suitcase, sleeping bag, and pillow, and go home. It was an unpleasant experience, and the parent was about as unhappy and indignant as you would expect, but I got back to business as the line had increased to a mob during this ground-breaking lice find. 

I was about to check another kid, and when he asked what for, I told him "bugs." It's easier than explaining what lice is when you don't have the time to do that. His dad started teasing him about bugs and monsters in his hair, and as he sat down, I could see from a distance that he was covered in nits. I told the dad that his child did in fact have lice, and the dad, thinking I'm going in on his joke with his kid said, "See, even the nurse says you have bugs in your hair!" It's one thing to send a child home with it, but it's just pouring salt into the wounds when they make a joke about it first, and then you have to explain that no, it is not in fact a joke. He was as irate as ever (with reason: the child had just had a haircut yesterday, and they're supposed to do lice checks before a haircut), the kid as sad as ever, and home they went. 

To clarify, the total number of children who have ever been turned away from camp for lice in the past 3 or 4 seasons: zero. Today: two, out of an intended 37 campers this week. Not awesome.