🍁 Thanksgiving & Lice: What Parents Need to Know During the Holiday Season
Why Lice Spreads More During Thanksgiving Break
Thanksgiving means family time, cousins piling onto couches, sleepovers, shared selfies, and lots of close contact. While it’s a fun time for kids, it’s also a peak lice season for lice to spread.
Lice don’t jump or fly, but they love close head-to-head contact, and the holidays offer plenty of opportunities for that.
Common Holiday Activities That Increase Lice Risk
Here are a few traditions that unintentionally help lice spread:
🦃 1. Cousin sleepovers
Sharing pillows, blankets, and long snuggle sessions on the sofa.
🦃 2. Group photos
Kids cluster together with heads touching.
🦃 3. Passing hats around
Beanies, hoodies, jackets, and dress-up accessories are frequently shared.
🦃 4. Travel time
Road trips, backseat naps, and plane rides often mean heads leaning closely together.
🦃 5. Kids playing in tight spaces
Fort-building, movie nights, and tablet time all involve close contact.
How to Reduce the Chance of Lice During Thanksgiving Break
You don’t have to cancel your plans! Just a few gentle steps help keep lice out of the holiday fun.
✔️ 1. Remind kids: “Heads up, not close up!”
A simple phrase children understand.
Not scary, not stressful.
✔️ 2. Avoid sharing hair brushes, hats, hoodies, or headphones
Especially during travel and sleepovers.
✔️ 3. Keep hair up
Buns, braids, and ponytails lower the chance of contact.
✔️ 4. Do a quick scalp check before and after gatherings
It takes less than 2 minutes to spot common signs.
✔️ 5. Use a daily preventative routine
Use a daily lice repellent for kids that helps keep lice away and check regularly. Use prevention products like Nit Picky® Lice Repel Spray
How to Check for Lice After the Holidays
After Thanksgiving weekend, do a quick visual check using natural light:
Look behind the ears
Check the nape of the neck
Look for tiny, oval nits close to the scalp
Check if anything is stuck to the hair and doesn’t flick off
Finding lice early prevents bigger household outbreaks.
Should You Cancel Plans If Your Child Gets Lice?
Not necessarily.
Lice are common, not dangerous, and treatable.
Most families can handle it quickly and still enjoy the holidays. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, Nit Picky® offers private, in-home professional lice treatment and removal so families can get back to celebrating faster.
Trust Nit Picky®, the lice removal experts families have relied on for over 20 years.
Need help now? Book a Nit Picky® in-home lice treatment today. Call (877) 888-2820
Visit our Lice Education page for expert information.
A Thanksgiving Message From Nit Picky®
This season is all about gratitude, connection, and family, and we’re grateful to serve families year-round. Lice happen, especially during busy holiday gatherings, but with the right support, it doesn’t have to ruin your plans.
From our family to yours:
Happy Thanksgiving!
