Few parenting rites of passage are as universal as discovering your child has head lice.

One minute you’re packing lunch boxes and signing permission slips, and the next, you’re peering at your kid’s scalp with a flashlight and questioning your life choices.

Now that we’re back into the swing of school, the inevitable spread of head lice has begun. Did it ever really stop though? Lice can be a year-round scourge.

First things first: head lice don’t mean you’re a bad parent or that you have a grubby child. These tiny insects are equal-opportunity menaces who love clean hair just as much as not-so-clean hair. Some say they even favour clean hair, although I’m not sure if that’s true; perhaps it’s a compassionate lie to console us in our lice-related trauma.

You don’t pick lice up from the great outdoors; they’re not typical outdoorsy bugs. And thankfully, they can’t jump or fly – all they can do is crawl.

This means your child likely got them the old-fashioned way: head-to-head contact with another child.

The realisation that there are head lice in the house is a massive headache, no doubt about it, but head lice are manageable.

They don’t spread disease, and they don’t live long off the scalp. Wash bedding, hats, and recently worn clothes including your child’s coat at a high temperature and tumble dry on high heat if possible. You could even vacuum upholstered furniture if it makes you feel better.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to lice removal but you’ve got options. There are several brands of over-the-counter treatments available in pharmacies and some big supermarkets. These are shampoos that contain chemicals that will eradicate the lice.

I’ve had one rodeo with lice as a parent. I opted for the strongest strength product I could find in an effort to nuke them on the spot. Thankfully, it was effective, but the treatment left my kid’s hair quite dry and brittle.

I remember thinking if she got head lice again any time soon, her hair would really suffer from a repeat treatment with that stuff.

Furthermore, some say that lice become resistant to these chemical treatments and they are not as effective when used repeatedly.

For these reasons, many parents opt for home remedies instead. Parents often ask the question on Letterkenny Babies Facebook page, and some of the most frequent suggestions to treat lice are mayonnaise or hair conditioner.

Supposedly, a thick dollop of these will smother any crawlers. The process does need to be repeated as new eggs hatch.

Lathering mouthwash and vinegar on the hair is also frequently recommended, although I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to try these out myself.

Investing in a fine-tooth lice comb is a must for this stage of the parenting journey. Wet the hair, apply conditioner, and comb through every couple of days for at least two weeks – to be sure to be sure.

This task is tedious (hence the evolution of the phrase nitpicking) but it dramatically improves success rates.

It reminds me of monkeys in nature documentaries, sifting through each other’s fur. Mind you, monkeys tend to casually toss any creepy crawlies they find into their mouths – I think we can draw the line there with the comparison!

Some parents say that hair straighteners are great at killing the eggs, so that might be worth considering too.

Finally, be sure to notify your child’s school or creche of the outbreak, it’s the responsible thing to do.

To reduce the risk of reinfestation, encourage kids not to share hats, hairbrushes or headphones, and keep long hair tied back.

Tea tree oil is also a handy weapon in the battle against lice; they seem repelled by it. Mixing a few drops through a spray bottle of leave-in conditioner can help keep lice at bay.

At the end of the day, dealing with head lice is more irritating than dangerous – but it’s a parenting headache that has probably given you the heebie-jeebies just reading about!