Hi
Thanks for your letter. It sounds like you are quite concerned about your friend. Im glad that you decided to write to me about this.
Youve mentioned thinking that your friend has nits. It can be very hard to tell if someone as nits or head lice even if you look very closely. Anyone can get nits, no matter how clean they are. It sounds like this might be making you feel worried about sitting next to her. Its important for you to know that head lice/nits cant jump or fly. Your head would have to be very close to someone with nits in order for them to crawl to your hair.
If youre worried about head lice you could talk to a school nurse or a teacher at school about it. They might be able to ask your friends parents to check her hair. If she does have nits then they can be easily removed using a special comb, lotion or spray.
Sometimes when a young person is having a difficult time at home they might not be getting the things they need to keep themselves clean and fresh. There are certain things that everyone needs in life. For example, enough to eat and drink, somewhere to wash, clean clothes and shoes and a comfortable place to sleep. Its a parent or carers responsibility to make sure that young people have these things.
When someone is neglected they might not be getting these essential things. Its often young peoples friends who are the first to notice something isnt right. If you think that your friend might be having a difficult time at home you might want to think about talking to her about it.
Sometimes young people might feel embarrassed or scared to talk about not having the things they need, so if you do talk to her, dont feel upset if she doesnt want to say much. You or your friend could ask a teacher or another adult for advice and support, or you could let her know that she can speak to a counsellor at ChildLine in confidence.
You can talk to a ChildLine counsellor, whether its about your friend or about something else. You can call for free on 0800 1111 (even from a mobile) or you log on for a 1-2-1 chat (it works a bit like instant messenger).
I hope this helps
Take care
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.
