Parents often ask me in a pleading way: BUT… how did my child get head lice? This will hopefully help you understand the whys and the hows of head lice infestation. Mostly, head lice is spread through head to head contact. So imagine when children both literally and figuratively put their heads together during a class project. Also on the soccer pitch, when children group into a huddle, heads often touch. Swapping hats, hair accessories, posing for selfies in groups are also typical child behaviors that allow transmission. As you might have guessed it swapping Halloween wigs and face masks can lead to an exchange of head lice. In fact Halloween usually brings peak head lice season. Here’s an important take away for parents and caregivers: Try not to get panicked, scared or angry with your child or other children and their families about head lice transmission. It is entirely normal for children to have head to head contact during play in playgrounds and in the classroom, and, particularly around the excitement of sports, dress-up and role play. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out that dogs, cats or any other pets can not transmit lice. Furniture, soft toys, and pillow are unlikely culprits too, and these days there is no association with personal hygiene, so it’s best not to judge others with head lice,and bring unnecessary anxiety to this problem. To test your knowledge on head lice transmission, please answer the following questions.