Wednesday, October 29, 2008

And, yet again

I can't decide whether I should be really, really irritated or not.

Remember about a month or so ago when Unruly was sent to the nurses' office for walnut juice stains on her hands? I was a bit miffed about that, especially when the kid told the teacher her hands WEREN'T dirty, they were stained.

Today I got a call from the nurse's office and I immediately think maybe she's feeling sick or something.

Nope. She has an itchy scalp and the nurse just wanted to let me know she doesn't have head lice. Okay. Well, thank you for that, but I've been keeping tabs on her head because it is head lice season and, ummm...ick. Then, and this is where I'm feeling irritated, she proceeds to tell me how to use conditioner on Unruly's head and how to solve the itchy scalp thing.

I KNOW why she has an itchy scalp today. She was being a butt about taking a shower last night and I sent her back TWICE to rinse her hair because there was still shampoo in it. She was too excited about pumpkin carving to get it rinsed entirely and I know she did a half-assed job. Her dad brushed her hair but apparently didn't notice any excess shampoo hanging around up there.

I'm starting to feel like this school thinks we are trash or lousy parents or something, and it's not such a good feeling at all. My kids are well cared for. They have clean clothes and clean bodies and a live in a clean home. We aren't dirty people but I'm really feeling like the school, for some reason, thinks we are.

I'm waiting for a call from family services wanting to do a home check because my kid had walnut juice-stained hands and an itchy scalp.

Am I being overly sensitive about this?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jenn, I know how you feel. My school allways called my mom for stupid reasons. It was never my fault. The teachers just didn't like me. Hang in there, you know your doing right. Do you ask the nurse what her problem is? Or tell the school to get a clue. Some times you just have to blow up.

Anonymous said...

Call (or visit) the principal (or the assistant principal, that might be better). Let him/her know of your concerns and that, while you appreciate having a nurse at the school, the nurse is being innappropriately intrusive. A check for lice? Appropriate. Calling you to tell you to use conditioner (unless the student has a chronic problem, which yours doesn't)? Very, very innapropriate. The kid could be allergic to conditioner, or maybe you had bought new shampoo and it didn't work out so well, or maybe the kid was being difficult and didn't get it done well...how the heck would the nurse know? So why is she making presumptions when she does not have all the data? Which makes you, as the parent, question what other false assumptions she makes, and you are now concerned that the nurse might make a mistake at the worst possible time, and now you are afraid your daughter is not safe at school! (Hooo. Nice run-on there.)
Maybe not that extreme, but you see my point. Bypass the nurse completely. Talk to the higher ups.

Sona said...

Yea, you need to nip this in the bud.

Anonymous said...

I hope you dressed Unruly as a filthy hobo or as Pigpen for her Halloween festivities at school...

Anonymous said...

I sympathize!

Once I got a call from the school that my daughter was peering under bathroom stalls laughing at other students.

Another time she hid a kid's feather!

Once I got a call that my kids did have head lice.

Kathy said...

You know, when family services stops by unannounced, to check on your children's home environment, it will be a day that Unruly has chosen to run around outdoors sans clothing with a chicken on her head.

kristi said...

What IS it with school Nurses?? I have had busybody nurses at my son's schools the last 2 YEARS!