Part time jobs and the "ick" factor

[kristinkle]

So I have been looking for a part time job to pay off some debt and beef up my emergency fund due to my husband being laid off last year.  I found a very lucrative position as a "lice removal specialist".  I told my SIL about it and you would have thought I was thinking about scraping latrines with my bare hands.  I've done alot of research on it and it doesn't seem that bad and if precautions are taken, I shouldn't end up with it either.  I'm not really squeamish and the money is really too good to pass up.

I know I shouldn't care, but I live in a small community with some mothers who feel it is necessary to say things just to be mean and judging from my SIL's reaction, I am kind of afraid of how others may react.  Especially because I have 2 kids and I don't want people reacting negatively to them.

Has anyone ever taken a part time (or a full time) position that had the "ick" factor? If people asked, what did you tell them or did you just tell them you would prefer not to talk about it? Any ideas on what to do if people do find out and have a poor attitude about it?  How would you feel if you knew one of your kids friends mom did this?

I am probably worrying too much about it but just wondering how others may have handled things or how others may judge.

[zibazinski]

That's a job? Dang. Well, is it in a clinic or something? I'd just say I'm working in health and leave it at that.

[kristinkle]

Yep.  It's a job.  It is actually a salon type setting, not a clinic but I really like your idea.

[alabamagal]

I saw that as a job posting here.  Yes first thought was ick!  

My kids had lice once, just dealt with it at home.  Would have never thought to take them somewhere.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Why worry about what someone else thinks?  How do you know your SIL won't have need for these services some day?

I've done some absolutely gross things as part of my profession, many researchers do (and lice doesn't come close).  And quite frankly, I didn't give a fat rat's ass as to what anyone thought.

[Tiny]

I don't really feel the ick factor of your job... I'm assuming you are doing what you are doing as professionally and appropriately as possible and that because of that you (and your family) aren't in danger of getting or spreading lice. I'm also a bit in awe of how well this part time job would fit with a 'day job' and by how much $$ you might make doing it (compared to other parttime jobs).

I'm not really suppose to talk about my job/work outside the office - I deal with a lot of confidential information and some not so confidential but still sensitive. Thankfully, most of my friends also constrained by 'confidentiality' in their own jobs - so we generally don't talk about work.

For the times I do need to answer a question about my employment - I try to be as generic as possible with a quick follow up of changing the subject. That usually keeps me 'safe' from having to really watch what I might say... I'm sometimes clueless and there's a good chance I'd blurt out something important without thinking.

In your shoes I'm come up with something generic sounding for what you do, maybe say that you enjoy the work, and then change the subject. Since you work in a small community - I'd assume that you MIGHT someday be treating one of your neighbors kids. I'd strive to keep your 'clients' confidentiality in mind and then do your darnest best to NEVER treat your 'clients' differently in public or talk about the kids/people/families you work with to other people.

[Green Eyed Lady]

I'd be proud that I'm doing the best I can for my family and if anyone has a problem with that...well...they aren't the sort of people I'd be discussing my life with anyway. You need extra cash to best take care of your family and you are doing it honestly and legally. There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.  Good on you for doing your best even if the job isn't polishing diamonds. 

If you are afraid people will react negatively, just say something like...I'm in a type of health care and it's not something I'm allowed to discuss (because you shouldn't anyway).

[kristinkle]

"  And quite frankly, I didn't give a fat rat's ass as to what anyone thought."

I wish I had this attitude.  I've gotten better but I still definitely care what others think.  My grandmother used to call it "thinned skinned".

[Tiny]

I think the issue with the "lice" is the stigma attached to the kids/people who HAVE them. The OP is going to know which families have had a bout of lice - even if the family manages to keep it hush hush and few people in their 'circle' know. Hence the reason why the OP needs to NOT gossip about or treat her 'clients' differently when she meets up with them in public.

[MJ2.0]

Jul 25, 2016 11:14:10 GMT -5 kristinkle said:

"  And quite frankly, I didn't give a fat rat's ass as to what anyone thought."

I wish I had this attitude.  I've gotten better but I still definitely care what others think.  My grandmother used to call it "thinned skinned".

Just ask the naysayers which bills they would like to pay for you.

[Deleted]

I don't see what the big deal is.   It's not like lice isn't a common thing that sweeps through schools and while people used to deal with it on their own, I think it's great that salons now have these specialists...or maybe they always did and I just heard about it?   It was just recently that I was at Fantastic Sams and a woman came in with her two little kids because she wasn't sure if they had it or not and the woman they said was really good with that came right to the check out area and was looking through them to see if she could find any.  Turns out they didn't. 

[kristinkle]

Thank you all!  Yes, there is a huge stigma and alot of grief and embarrassment.  Everything is discrete and kept in extreme confidence.  I have no problem keeping confidential info confidential.

I'm also a bit in awe of how well this part time job would fit with a 'day job' and by how much $$ you might make doing it (compared to other parttime jobs).

ETA:  The rest of this post didn't post...  I wanted to say that the base pay is about 3x what I am seeing from other PT jobs.  From what I have heard from the other tech's, with tips, could be up to 6x. 

[giramomma]

I think this is one of those times where it's easier to not share information. One of the things I had to do, as an adult, was figure out who was a safe person to share things with, and who wasn't. It can be quite a bit of a thought shift when you are working against commonly held assumptions. (like, family should be safe).

Over time, I've developed a "safe" list of topics to talk about. I've also learned that simply asking the other person questions takes most of the attention off me.

I've also seen postings for a job removing head lice..I wouldn't do it. But, that's me. If it works for you, I would totally do it.

But, then I've seriously tossed around being a surrogate. I won't lie, the money is great. And it would be fabulous. I want to be pregnant and have a baby. I just don't want to be responsible for another person. Hopefully, I've got at least another 10-15 years before the words "grandparent" are uttered in reference to DH and myself.

ETA: Parents talk. It's what they do. We send our kids to parochial school, and needed to ask for a scholarship covering 15% of our tuition bill this year. I'm pretty worried about the fall out that's going to happen with my kids this year. I mean, asking for scholarship is supposed to be very well insulated from gossip. Yeah, no. Most of the moms are up in other mom's business, honestly, because they've got nothing else to really worry about.

[zibazinski]

Yup, well, I work part-time in a salon. That should do it. Then change the subject.

[Green Eyed Lady]

I can't think of anything I wouldn't do to help my family - except being a hooker or stripper (and I have to think about this if I had kids and they were hungry). We weren't well off when I was growing up.  Lots of things like track shoes, etc., were difficult to add to the budget.  My dad always used to say he'd "shovel shit" if he had to. 

I was very lucky growing up and it sounds like your family is, too. 

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

How much do you charge?   Will you fly to Iowa if my kids get lice?

We will pay you whatever you want!!!


I don't see the shame in it.   There is a lady here who does it and charges $30/hr to pick your kids' head.   Considering how many lice outbreaks there have been at any given time between all the schools and daycares in the area I can imagine she's raking it in.


I've tried to talk DH into becoming a professional lice remover.  He's really good at it and we could use the cash.  

[Miss Tequila]

I'm with GEL, I honestly don't care what someone else thinks of me outside of people that I love...and even then, if I am doing what I need to do to support my family they can shut their pie hole! 

And both of my kids had lice a few years ago.  It was disgusting but nothing for me to be embarrassed about.  My oldest was dating a wrestler at the time and I have a feeling he got it on the mats....all of a sudden, several wrestlers shaved their heads!

[haapai]

Excuse me, but don't these other mothers have children that defecate, sweat, and vomit?  Please explain to me how being an expert nit-picker is grosser than being a janitor, childcare worker, or pediatrician?  

Life is too short to be spent around people who pretend that their own children never spew noxious fluids or host itchies. 

I've been advised to use Qwell or one of its kerosene-scented analogs more than once in my life and I refuse to act ashamed of it.  Lice are nasty and I've been told a few times that when jumping from person to person, they prefer clean hair. 

ETA:  I think that it would be far more accurate to refer to the "tsk" factor instead of the "ick" factor here.  Or maybe we should come up with a new word to describe the actual sound made. "Tsk" is a sound made while exhaling.  The sound that you are much more likely to encounter is made while inhaling.  It's just as dismissive and can sound somewhat similar, but we really don't have a word for the sound made as women suck air in between their teeth. 

[Deleted]

Jul 25, 2016 11:50:20 GMT -5 giramomma said:

But, then I've seriously tossed around being a surrogate. I won't lie, the money is great. And it would be fabulous. I want to be pregnant and have a baby.

I'm really kicking myself for not doing this back when it was still an option.  I loved being pregnant and never had any issues, and I don't think I'd have a problem handing the baby over, so it would have been a perfect way to get a nice chunk of change.  I think they get like 50K which is more than I make in a year at my job. 

[swamp]

It's not like you're turning tricks.

My kids had lice once. I would have paid you to pick their heads.

[giramomma]

Jul 25, 2016 12:06:53 GMT -5 haapai said:

Lice are nasty and I've been told a few times that when jumping from person to person, they prefer clean hair. 

That's one of many reasons why my kids didn't/don't get bathed daily, and they always bathe before bed.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

We found out Listerine kills the little bastards.   It also dissolves the "glue" that holds the eggs onto the strands making it easier to comb them out.

I stopped using Listerine as mouth wash because if it can kill lice WTF could it be doing to my mouth that I don't know about?

[andi9899]

Jul 25, 2016 10:40:21 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

That's a job? Dang. Well, is it in a clinic or something? I'd just say I'm working in health and leave it at that.

We have one here. People pay a lot of money for someone else to dig through their kid's hair. Particularly parents of long haired girls.

[haapai]

Jul 25, 2016 12:21:26 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Jul 25, 2016 12:06:53 GMT -5 haapai said:

Lice are nasty and I've been told a few times that when jumping from person to person, they prefer clean hair. 

That's one of many reasons why my kids didn't/don't get bathed daily, and they always bathe before bed.

Strangely, that was exactly how I was raised until I came to live in the US permanently and the pressure to shower every morning became pretty strong.  I resisted it for a while because I could not fathom why everyone had to start the day cold and with wet (or scrupulously blow-dried) hair.  Bathing before bed seemed so much more sane.  It let you skip the morning bathroom and time pressure and you got to go to bed clean and cool. 

After a few schoolmates scraped their skin to demonstrate by the flaking that they had showered in the morning, I became a convert to the daily morning abulation.   It seemed like a small price to pay in order to fit in. 

[alabamagal]

I would think being a bikini waxer would be more ick than lice removal!

[hoops902]

I haven't taken one, but I turned down a part-time job in college once that involved harvesting (that's probably not the right term) a stallion's semen. They just wanted strong guys to help guide the horse onto the stand rather than at the female who was nearby as "bait". My friend who was really into horses was doing it, but I found out that a couple of times the stallion had pulled back and my friend had gotten a big sticky mess all over her. I didn't want to get the "job" all over me, nor did I want to be responsible when someone else got splashed if I couldn't hold the horse still.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jul 25, 2016 12:36:03 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

We found out Listerine kills the little bastards.   It also dissolves the "glue" that holds the eggs onto the strands making it easier to comb them out.

I stopped using Listerine as mouth wash because if it can kill lice WTF could it be doing to my mouth that I don't know about?

Like killing the microbes that cause periodontal disease?  I know at least it lowers your bacterial burden in your mouth.

[MJ2.0]

Jul 25, 2016 12:51:45 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

I haven't taken one, but I turned down a part-time job in college once that involved harvesting (that's probably not the right term) a stallion's semen. They just wanted strong guys to help guide the horse onto the stand rather than at the female who was nearby as "bait". My friend who was really into horses was doing it, but I found out that a couple of times the stallion had pulled back and my friend had gotten a big sticky mess all over her. I didn't want to get the "job" all over me, nor did I want to be responsible when someone else got splashed if I couldn't hold the horse still.

Oh hell naw!

[haapai]

Jul 25, 2016 12:51:45 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

I haven't taken one, but I turned down a part-time job in college once that involved harvesting (that's probably not the right term) a stallion's semen. They just wanted strong guys to help guide the horse onto the stand rather than at the female who was nearby as "bait". My friend who was really into horses was doing it, but I found out that a couple of times the stallion had pulled back and my friend had gotten a big sticky mess all over her. I didn't want to get the "job" all over me, nor did I want to be responsible when someone else got splashed if I couldn't hold the horse still.

Why are you more concerned about the "splash" than the hooves?  Do you know how insane that sounds?  The beast in question weighs five times what you do and you're more worried about where the jiz might land than being crushed or kicked? 

Do you have any idea what this concern over having to possibly wash your hair sounds like to the uninsured person who was also there?  Do you understand that the person standing right next to you might have prepared for this event by googling "how to give yourself superglue stitches" instead of "how to remove stallion spunk"? 

[Deleted]

Jul 25, 2016 13:26:02 GMT -5 haapai said:

Jul 25, 2016 12:51:45 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

I haven't taken one, but I turned down a part-time job in college once that involved harvesting (that's probably not the right term) a stallion's semen. They just wanted strong guys to help guide the horse onto the stand rather than at the female who was nearby as "bait". My friend who was really into horses was doing it, but I found out that a couple of times the stallion had pulled back and my friend had gotten a big sticky mess all over her. I didn't want to get the "job" all over me, nor did I want to be responsible when someone else got splashed if I couldn't hold the horse still.

Why are you more concerned about the "splash" than the hooves?  Do you know how insane that sounds?  The beast in question weighs five times what you do and you're more worried about where the jiz might land than being crushed or kicked? 

Do you have any idea what this concern over having to possibly wash your hair sounds like to the uninsured person who was also there?  Do you understand that the person standing right next to you might have prepared for this event by googling "how to give yourself superglue stitches" instead of "how to remove stallion spunk"? 

The beast is probably a lot more than 5X your weight and depending on the stallion can be INSANE at the moment.  I've been a part of many a "collection" and some were very good about it.  Some...not so good.