Garlic has antibacterial properties and helps detoxify the body. Give your child one capsule, two to three times a day, for one week. You can substitute one clove of fresh garlic for each capsule, but most children are more willing to accept garlic in the odorless capsule form.

Give your child ginger tea to increase perspiration. This helps to cleanse the body and reduce the intensity of a cold. Give one dose, every four hours, during the acute phase of a cold.

Sage tea helps to break up congestion and bring down a fever. Give your child one dose of sage tea, up to three times daily, for three to five days.

Homeopathy
At the very first sign of a cold, give your child 1/3 tube of Anas barbariae (sold under various brand names, including Oscillococcinum), three times daily, for one day. Then, during the acute phase of your child's cold, give her one dose of one of the symptom-specific homeopathic remedies below, three to four times daily, for three days. If there is no improvement at all after three doses of a remedy, however, it is unlikely that it will do anything more. Switch to another that matches your child's symptoms and temperament. If your child feels better before three days have passed, stop giving the remedy.

For the child with a very runny nose and a great deal of irritating, watery nasal secretions that cause inflammation, as well as teary (but not burning) eyes and a lot of sneezing, give Allium cepa 12x or 6c. This is homeopathic red onion. It is recommended for the child who feels worse than you do when you are chopping a strong onion.

For the child who feels chilly, restless, and weak, give Arsenicum album 30x or 9c. This remedy is for the child who, paradoxically, feels worse in a cold room but wants something cold to drink. She has a red nose, with runny nasal secretions that burn the nose and upper lip. When this child is ill, she wants to sit in bed with books, magazines, and a television. This child wants to be left alone, but will demand attention and reassurance every once in a while. When she is comforted and cuddled, she will quiet down and go to sleep.

If the eyes are the main focus of the cold, give your child Euphrasia 12x. This is for a child whose symptoms are the opposite of those calling for Allium cepa. Her nose runs a lot, especially in the morning, but without irritation; she complains of burning eyes and stinging tears, winks frequently, and wipes and rubs her eyes. She yawns a lot, and prefers to be inside, away from sunlight and bright lights.

Eupatorium 12x or 6c is helpful for the child who complains of a severe aching deep in her bones, and says she feels sore "everywhere."

Give Gelsemium 30x or 9c to the child who has heavy, droopy eyes, who feels weak and tired, with aches and chills up and down her back, and who wants to be alone.

Give Pulsatilla 30x or 9c to the child with a stuffy nose and thick yellow discharge. This child feels worse at night and when indoors; she prefers to be outdoors and wants comfort and attention.