Natural Treatment and Prevention for Head Lice

We made the dreaded discovery several weeks ago, one of the children had head lice.  After choking back the urge to lose my dinner, we got to work getting rid of them and ensuring that they do not return.

There is a common misconception that pesticides are needed to treat a child's head to kill the lice and that toys must be bagged and life as you know it just stands still for 6 weeks.  Not true!  You can be done with lice in 48 hours if you treat it quickly and thoroughly.

Upon discovering the critters, everyone in the home received a tea tree oil shampoo treatment.  This involves wetting the hair, then use about 2-3 times more shampoo than you would normally use.  Thoroughly cover the head with a good lather.  Let that sit on your head for about 15 minutes.  This will kill all of the lice and their eggs as well as repel new lice from infesting.  Rinse your hair and remove any lice that you find.

Your next step is to wash all of the laundry including sheets in warm water and dry in the dryer.

Finally, fill a 16-24 oz. spray bottle with water and add 1-2 drops of tea tree oil per oz. of water to the bottle.  Shake the solution well.  Spray hair brushes, mattresses, pets, pillows, furniture (especially couches at the head level), etc. with this solution.  Spray the solution on surfaces, pets and the family members hair several times daily for a few days or until you are sure that the lice are gone.  This spray can be used as a preventative, but I prefer to buy a good quality leave in conditioner and add 5-10 drops of tea tree oil to the bottle and use daily.

The Kids Are Fighting Like Cats and Dogs

Summer is in full swing and the kids are fighting like animals!  My favorite homeopathic solution for this is Natures Sunshine's "Calming Homeopathic."  Just 3-5 drops under the tongue every few hours as needed makes for a more manageable day and better moods.  Calming Homeopathic is also good for kids who are fighting sleep, are irritable, moody, disobedient, grumpy...anything less than the happy, delightful children you know and love.