“I was wondering would you have any tips for travel sickness. My 12 year is very bad in a car last couple of journeys he has been sick . Use to be just the feeling but has got sick the last few times. I’ve tried the arm bands he didn’t like them. I’ve seen a travel sickness patch online that goes behind his ear. If you have tips it would be great ”
Motion sickness or travel sickness or “car sick” can be dizziness or nausea. It comes from the effect of motion on the inner ear. In studies, as many as 1 in 4 people will experience some motion sickness on a winding road, worse in the back seat. As many as 9 out of 10 people can experience it on boats during rough conditions. In children with motion sickness, half of them will have a parent who suffers from motion sickness to some degree. Your child cannot do anything about it – this is not behavioural or emotional.
What to do about it?
Be prepared. Bring a plastic bag (or whatever you want to use to catch the vomit). Upside: most children with motion sickness will only vomit once during the trip. You can try to avoid feeding the child a heavy meal before travelling, and just allow small sips of water during the trip.
Teens and adults may feel better in the front seat, if that is an option. For younger children, the middle back seat (depending on your car/number of children) can help so the child looks out the front window instead of the side window.
No matter where in the vehicle they sit, try to have your child not look out the side window (a sunshade might help here for younger children).
Don’t use videos, screens, or books during the travel (easier said than done, I know) but focusing on the screen or page can make motion sickness worse. [On our trip to Donegal this summer, we used children’s audio/sing-along songs and played games like “I spy” The 3 y.o. loves the game though he can’t spell. He thinks you should just guess what he’s looking at.]
It may also help to avoid over-heating in the car. Make sure that your child isn’t over dressed and keep a window cracked for fresh air. It should go without saying for all the other health reasons, but don’t smoke with children in the car. The smoke can also make symptoms worse.
Acupressure bands (like “Sea-bands”) do work for some people, but do nothing for others. While they are unlikely to do any harm, there are no good studies about how well they work in children.
If you are worried, not sure it’s motion sickness, and/or before using any medications, especially in young children, always talk to your GP. (you may see advice about using medication in some parenting sites online as using some over-the-counter medications is a common practice in other countries).
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