You can also use a damp small cloth and put it on their heads near the temple, neck, ankles, wrists or any area where the blood flows close to the skin as the cool cloth cools the blood as it flows past and helps reduce the temperature of the baby. Not all little ones like having a damp clothe on them however it is worth a try. Good comments too about babies behaviour as when they get hotter they get very lethargic and can look quite sick. If they are still active they are generally not too bad. In our children the fevers tended to go in waves and have spikes of high temperatures for a period of time then it would fall and spike again. This pattern could recurr over a few days.

I am curious, how old is your son? A fever of 101 F is a low grade fever if the child is older than 1 year.  I do agree with not giving medicine at the first sign of fever though. A low grade fever is the body's way of fighting off infection and should be left alone, but should be monitored closely to make sure that it doesn't go too high.  Tylenol works great, but for fever that will not go down my pediatrician said to use Motrin.

I also want to add that the child's behavior is also an important factor on whether to phone the doctor or not. The baby could be having a a low grade fever but if he/she is severely lethargic then it is time to consult the pediatrician.