Don’t panic. Dealing with headlice is a rite of passage for parents. Happens to all of us. If it’s any consolation, headlice prefer clean hair to dirty hair. There are no precautions that I know of other than living in a sealed bubble. Which isn’t living and the kids won’t learn much.

If you are unlucky enough to find them on the kids/pets/carpets, buy a fine tooth comb (try Chemists Warehouse or Kmart) and a biiiig bottle of cheap conditioner. Apply undiluted conditioner generously to dry hair to immobilise the lice, then comb out the nits & eggs. Rinse. Repeat the next day and again in a week’s time. Wash all bedding on hot or with bleach added and tumble dry. That includes pillows and doonas. Vacuum madly in all directions including the mattresses and curtains. Dispose of the vacuum dust in a sealed bag immediately. Treat your pets for lice too.

You may need to repeat all this a few times roughly a week apart depending on species and whether the kids are getting re-infected at playgroup or whatever. The idea is to get rid of all adult lice and then any eggs that hatch before they get old enough to lay more eggs. If you’ve still got them a month down the track, ring nurse on call or your gp for nasty chemical help.