When can my child be around other children, after having had a cold?

Ask your doctor when your child can be around other children after she's had a cold. She’s the most contagious two to four days after her cold symptoms started, but she may still spread the virus up to a week later. One common rule that schools use is that a child can return 24 hours after her fever has broken on its own, without using a fever-reducing medicine.

Check with your child’s school or daycare to make sure there aren’t other guidelines. Follow your instincts too; if your child is still tired after a night of coughing, then she needs more rest. If she’s bouncing off the walls at home, then she’s probably ready to be around other kids.