Drink hot drinks like tea with lemon and honey to soothe the throat. Suck on cough drops or hard candy. Robitussin-DM is one of these. Try a decongestant if you have postnasal drip. You feel post-nasal drip at the back of your throat.
Decongestants help dry it out.
Make your own cough medicine. Mix one part lemon juice and two parts honey. A small child can easily get something caught in the throat or windpipe. Even adults should be careful to chew and swallow foods slowly. Stay away from secondhand smoke.