• Sore throat. Let your sick child indulge her sweet tooth a little with a cold Popsicle, smoothie or ice cream. She gets the necessary fluids and the coolness can help soothe her throat. According to the AAP, kids older than 4 years may find relief from sucking on hard candy or cough drops.
  
  
• Cough. Don't be tempted by cough suppressants because they can prevent congestion from getting out of your child's lungs. Instead, try honey (as long as your kid is older than a year). Scientific studies have shown what grandmothers around the world have known for years -- honey will help your child's cough and let you both get some sleep.
  
  
• Body aches. Body aches can occur with a cold and are more common with the flu. Much like treating a fever, you can try children's acetaminophen or ibuprofen, but no aspirin. You may also want to try giving her a warm bath or let her lie on a heating pad with supervision.

When helping your child through a cold, avoid the temptation of antibiotics. They work against bacteria, not the viruses that cause colds. The exception occurs when your child is also dealing with sinusitis, pneumonia or an ear infection, and then only by your pediatrician's direction. Also, skip the zinc, vitamin C and echinacea. They don't work for children and even worse, echinacea can cause a rash and zinc can give kids diarrhea. And remember, leave the aspirin for adults.

Most of the time your child's cold will pass within a few days. In rare cases, she'll need treatment that you can't give at home. Here are some signs that it is time to call a doctor:

• Your baby is 3 months or younger.
  
  
• She has other conditions like asthma or diabetes.
  
  
• She's not eating or drinking anything or vomiting so often that she's not keeping anything down.
  
  
• She's having difficulty breathing.
  
  
• Her fever is higher than 101^oF (38.4^oC) and lasts longer than 3 days, or the fever didn't start until after a few days of being sick.
  
  
• Her eyes are red or have a yellow discharge.
  
  
• She has a high fever with yellowish nasal discharge or facial pain, which could mean a sinus infection.
  
  
• She has ear pain or she's fussy and pulling at her ear -- all signs of an ear infection.
  
  
• Symptoms don't go away in a week or get worse.

Research shows young kids typically get 6 to 10 colds or flu per year. While you don't have the options you used to in the drugstore, you can still help her through her sickness. All it takes is a little extra TLC and she'll be back to normal in days.