Summer Travel: Dealing with Car Sick Children

car sick kids

for so many families, family holidays means loading up the car and heading
out on the road…

but what if your child is prone to carsickness?

fortunately, a number of simple tricks can reduce motion sickness.

what is car sickness, anyway?

basically, car sickness results from a conflict between the eye and ear: the
inner ears detect that the car is moving, but the eyes– focused within the
car– do not. the brain gets conflicting signals, and nausea results.

usually the child will first complain that she feels queasy– allowing some
time to fix the situation before actual vomiting starts.

as always, prevention is best. here are some measures for reducing car
sickness.

1. A Far Horizon

encourage your child to focus on a distant point outside the car
play car games like “I Spy” that get the child to look outside
bring along books or songs on cassettes or CD’s; your child can listen while
looking out the window
limit activities such as reading or playing hand-held video games, where the
eyes stay focused within the car
for toddlers in car-seats, position the seat so that the child can see
outside 2. Avoid Rear Seats

many families nowadays have people movers (tarago etc) and kids seem to feel
the van’s motion more in the rear seat
facing backwards is to be avoided too. (Some station wagons have back-facing
seats in the rear) 3. Fresh Air

a child on the verge of queasiness may feel better if the window’s open
Also, no one should be smoking in a vehicle with kids inside!
also avoid strong-smelling foods or snacks 4. Settle the stomach

a child fighting queasiness may feel better if he munches on a dry cracker
An empty stomach is not best
avoid greasy and hard-to-digest food 5. Smoother Driving

the less braking and swaying the better.
a suspension system in poor shape can make things worse 6. frequent stops!

plan enough time on your trip to stop and let your child get out of the car.

7. Motion sickness medicines

over-the-counter medicines are available, as are some alternative-medicine
remedies. Remember that alternative medicines can be as potent as over the
counter medicines. It’s best to be cautious and seek a medical opinion before
medicating a child.
to be effective against motion sickness, most medicines need to be taken
before the trip starts.

8. straps dangling from the back of the car

You see them around. Some people must believe they work! Making frequent
stops is key
…and is good advice for any car trip with kids.

Stop at fast-food
restaurants; or stop for picnics; or stop at rest areas and toss a frisbee or
ball. Stop at parks, points of interest…

The more stops you make, the more the “getting there” part of the trip will
be fun — and the less you’ll have to deal with carsickness, whiney kids,
fidgeters, and “are we there yet?”

It’s in everyone’s interests to stop the car before the child actually gets
sick!

Tip of the day: Give your child some ginger cookies and watch and
see how much this helps with car sickness !