All kids get colds. But you shouldn’t treat them all the same.

Cough and cold season is here. And if you’ve got kids, we want you to feel confident about knowing how to treat them responsibly. Here’s what you need to know.

For children age 4 years and over, over-the-counter (OTC) children’s cough and cold medicines are safe and effective when used as directed. Be sure to follow the dosing instructions carefully.

Try these other ways to soothe their symptoms, too:

• As simple as it sounds, making sure your child gets plenty of rest is one of the best ways you can help them get through a cold.
• Giving them plenty of fluids can help ease congestion, cool a fever, and soothe a scratchy throat.
• To help with a dry or stuffy nose, use saline nose drops to help loosen things up. Ask your pediatrician which ones to use.
• Using a cool mist humidifier will keep air moist, which can help clear your child’s clogged nasal passages. Just be sure to clean the humidifier often to avoid spreading germs.

If you have children under the age of 4 years, using OTC cough and cold medicines is not recommended, so you should talk to your doctor about other ways to treat your child’s cold. Single-ingredient pain relievers and fever reducers such as Infants’ and Children’s TYLENOL® and Infants’ and Children’s MOTRIN® are other options you can use to keep your child comfortable.

Remember that whenever you have questions about how to treat your child’s cough and cold symptoms, you should call your doctor.