Children get colds and coughs often especially during the winter. Sometimes that cough can linger for weeks and weeks. You can't always keep your child home every time they have a cough or a cold. Parents often ask me when do they need to worry, when should their child stay home and when can they return to school. In general, if the cough isn’t bothering your child, if they’re not having trouble breathing and they’re looking okay and they don’t have a fever, then they can go to school or go to their play dates, but if they have a high fever, if the cough is turning heads when everyone looks at you or they just blow and stuff out of their mouth, they’re hacking up a storm, when it’s probably best to keep them home. Now, if there is any signs of trouble breathing such as the skin sucking above and below the ribs, they’re really breathing in labored or they’re having chest pain or they look a little faint or blue in the face, then it’s very important that they see a doctor to get evaluated right away, because sometimes little colds can go down into lungs and become much more serious in children, but if your child doesn’t have a fever, they’re running around the house, playing and acting okay, and occasionally coughing, just give it some time, it will go away on its own. To help ease your child’s cough, try giving him plenty of fluids. For children over a year of age, a half a teaspoon or a teaspoon of honey can also help soothe the cough and sore throat. I like to steam up the bathroom and take my children in for 20 minutes to read a book and play. That also helps the mucus drain and help relieve the coughing symptoms.