Mythbusting misconceptions about colds and flu in children

I called my pediatrician recently to discuss the hacking cough that has taken over our part of the country, and has been keeping us up for over two weeks now. "Don't even bring them in," she told me, "unless they take a turn for the worse." The bug is a virus, and there's nothing to do but wait it out. A common mindset that is finally starting to change is that children need an antibiotic every time they get a cold. We know now that cold weather doesn't cause a cold, and neither do bacteria. But there are other myths out there that prevail.

One example is the BRAT diet. When a child has the stomach flu, many people recommend feeding them (B)ananas, (R)ice, (A)pplesauce, and (T)oast. Doctors now say children with stomach and intestinal ailments are better off eating nutritious food they like, as long as you stay away from fruit juice and spicy dishes.

Why do myths about treating childhood ailments hang on? Some have been passed down over hundreds of years, like the old saying "Feed a cold, starve a fever." Others had a basis in medicine, but have been disproved. What childhood ailment treatment myths did you grow up with -- and what do you think about them now?