Being a new parent involves acquiring a whole host of new skills. Some are fun and exciting, like teaching your kid how to throw the perfect spiral. Others are just plain disgusting. Being able to spot the difference between a cold and allergies when your kid is soaking every shirt sleeve they own with snot is not the most glamorous of tasks, but it is an important one. Luckily, by keeping an eye out for these few things, it can be fairly simple to distinguish between a bug and something more seasonal.

The first trick is to look out for the color of their mucus. As a general rule, allergies produce clear boogers while colds give snot a greenish-yellowish tint. Other symptoms of colds and infections include fever and body aches. These are not typical of allergies, so if your child is experiencing these, the odds are they’ve got a virus or bacterial infection and may require antibiotics.

On the flip side, symptoms of allergies include itchy eyes and itchy noses. If your kid is constantly rubbing their eyes — and they’re starting to look like Robert Downey Jr. in the ’80s (aka burning the candle at both ends) — then chances are they’re experiencing allergies, and a good antihistamine should clear that right up.

Another thing to look out for when diagnosing your kid is the timing of the symptoms. Allergies tend to be seasonal, and come back around the same time every year. And whereas a cold usually lasts only a couple of days, allergies can last forever.

So when should you call the doctor? If your kid has a fever that doesn’t go away after a couple of days, or if your kid is having trouble breathing, contact the doc.