Kids and Travel Sickness

Becles

Does anyone have a child that gets car sick?

My 6 year old was fine for years, but has started being sick on long journeys in the last year. We're planning a couple of days away in the Easter hols, probably about 2 hours away in the car.

Has anyone any suggestions on the best way to stop him being sick? Do tablets work, or those pressure wristbands I've seen in chemist shops?

It would help me too, as when I smell sick, I'm sick too

Lucie_2

I used to be terribly car sick when I was a child, & still now can't read in the car without feeling a bit green round the gills.
The two most helpful things I seem to remember were:

Sitting in the front. Being able to see the road & anticipate corners, bumps etc made it much easier.
Sucking mints. I don't know why, but it worked!

The other thing I've tried (for sea sickness, not car sickness) is sticking plasters behind my ears. Apparently your body's balance mechanisms are there & covering them with plasters stops them working, so the motion of the boat/car etc doesn't affect you. Maybe entirely psycological, but it worked for me.

Glad

I still get carsick now and agree with Lucie the thing that works best is sitting in the front seat,
Otherwise my parents would often travel at night so I could sleep on the way,

looking out of the window at the horizon helps too if you are looking at somethimg inside the car your brain is thinking you are fairly still but your motion sensors are contradicting this hence the sickness

Lillibet_2

I got terribly car sick until I was a teenager & it has returned with a vengance in pregnancy. I agree that sitting in the front is the biggest single improvement you can make, also having very small sips of cold water & opening the window help me at the mo. I've also found that as long as I have a break about every 20-30 mins, even if only for a minute or 2, it can be the difference between feeling sick & being sick.

Jay-Jay_4

If it's not possible for your son to sit in the front then sit him in the middle of the back seat so that he can see where he's going.

Instead of giving him a book or game to occupy him, play eye spy or spotting car colours or anything that involves him looking out of the windows.

Keep the heating low, the window or sunroof open and take a bag, some wet wipes and spare outfit with you just in case.

A neutralising air freshener in a good idea just in case

Becles

Thanks. Will try the suggestions.

It's a 4 seater car, so no middle seat. It's also a 3 door car and the back windows are tiny ovals. Maybe it's because he can't see out very well that he's feeling sick. Will try him in the front though.

Js_Other_Half

I would recommend wholeheartedly the acupressure straps for his wrists. I used to be absolutely dreadful as a child - anything more than 20 mins in a car and we had to stop to let me be ill...

With the straps I've even managed to read whilst travelling. They are not that expensive, and are well worth trying.

Jay-Jay_4

Js_Other_Half wrote:

I would recommend wholeheartedly the acupressure straps for his wrists.......They are not that expensive, and are well worth trying.

Sea-Bands (available in Boots)

I used these while I was preggers and they definately helped with morning sickness too.

foreverskint

if the travel sickness is really bad you can get stemetil prescribed by your G.P.

My daughter used to get travel sick when she just looked at the car!. When I had to take her to the childminders which was a 20 min drive she would already have been sick.

It does work but only if you can bear to give drugs.

THIRZAH

My daughter started being car sick at six months . I asked the health visitor for advice and was told "Don't talk about it in front of her " as if I was putting ideas into the head of a child of that age !

In the end I went to the Doctor who prescribed something. Once she was older we just bought the over-the-counter stuff. Never had much success with wrist bands

We keep a plastic box with a lid in the car (an old ice cream container will do) and put a plastic bag inside it so if she is sick we can just remove the plastic bag and bin it.I keep wipes, tissues etc handy.

When she was very young I used to put her in an old track suit for travelling so if she was sick on her clothes it didn't matter. Also a towel on the seat just in case

spankymonkey_2

my 5 year old son was excellent in a car, now he feels a bit woozy when we travel. i bought some travel sickness tablets from boots (own make) travel calm. they worked perfect... plus we have a portable dvd player so he sits watching that too, to pass the time.