Car Sickness
Whether in a car, boat, or plane, motion sickness has to do with the middle ear trying to figure out the body’s position in space while the eyes are sending information about what the person sees and the body is sending signals for what it is feeling. Some people are more sensitive to discrepancies in these signals and this can unfortunately take the form of puking in the back seat. If you have a child who is sensitive to car rides, there are a few things we can do to help:
Breathing in soothing mint, ginger, or lavender scents can calm the body and make it tougher for the body to trigger its emergency reaction of vomiting.
Always have fresh air or circulating air blowing in the kiddo’s face.
Avoid eating foods that are high in fat or spicy before traveling. Drink lots of water, and if you need to eat before travel keep it to bland starchy foods.
Do not let the kiddo watch a phone/tablet/book. They need a distant gaze. Have them look at objects on the horizon to stabilize their view.
When on a boat, sit in the middle of the boat on the upper deck.
If on a bus, always choose the window seat.
In a car, sit near a window or a vent.
On a cruise ship, book a cabin toward the front or middle of the ship and on a lower level if possible.
When booking plane tickets, try to sit in the wing section with the air vent on high and directed at the face or back of the neck.
On a train, try to have the child sit in a forward-facing seat.
Always have a barf bag ready to go. The more nonchalant the vomiting event and cleanup are, the better the kiddo will feel. Their discomfort from the motion sickness does not need to be compounded with exaggerated or drawn-out cleanup sessions after puking. They feel bad enough already.
Sometimes we use medicines such as antihistamines to help decrease the nausea of motion sickness, but in all honesty, they don’t work that great; however, you can talk to your kid’s doc about possible medications for very long or arduous trips.