Children’s Motion Sickness No More

By: Colleen Lanin, The Travel Mama
October 11th, 2009

My preschooler daughter and I often get queasy while traveling by boat or airplane and sometimes even when riding in the car. Does this keep us from flying, cruising, or road-tripping? No! 

If you or your child suffers from motion sickness, there are plenty of options that can help ease the nausea caused by movement. Plus, kids are so resilient that they often recover quickly and are ready for some fun as soon as they arrive at their destination.


My seasick daughter is pictured above with her daddy aboard a catamaran in Hawaii in 2006. Moments after departing the boat she was jumping about and requesting ice cream.

Here are nine motion sickness remedies:

• Remember how your mom offered you a glass of ginger ale when you were a kid and had the stomach flu? Well, she was onto something. Ginger is a natural aid that may help relieve an upset tummy. Ask for ginger tablets at a natural foods store or check out Gin Gins hard candy.

• Here are a couple medicines to pack. Anti-nausea medications include Dramamine, which comes in a chewable tablet for children, and Bonine for Kids, for children aged six+. These work best if taken before travel. My daughter and I both have had success with these medications on cruise ships but when I took a pill on a recent flight, it just exhausted me and worsened my air sickness.

• Wear acupressure wristbands, such as Sea-Bands. These bands stimulate a point on the wrist that acupuncturists and acupressurists believe relieve nausea. I am a big fan of acupuncture for everything from back aches to head colds but the acupressure bands don’t seem to do much to relieve my motion sickness. However, I have a friend who wore these throughout the first few months of her pregnancy and swears by their effectiveness. I still sport them from time to time, just in case! I figure, it can’t make things worse.

• Experts say not to eat a large meal before traveling. Instead, eat small high-protein snacks every couple of hours and avoid having an empty stomach. Maybe that’s why airlines pass out those packets of peanuts?

• Try a Queasy Pop lollipop, which contains essential oils that may calm nausea. I haven’t tried these personally, but I’ve heard good things from pregnant moms with morning sickness. Plus, a sweet treat might soothe a sick little one, even if just psychologically.

• Sit in the area of the airplane (over the wings) or boat (in the center) with the least motion. If cruising, be sure not to reserve a stateroom too far below deck.

• Face the direction in which you are traveling and look out at the horizon.

• Use distraction! Take your mind (or your child’s mind) off of the queasiness by playing music on headphones or watching a movie on a portable DVD player. Anything that requires too much thinking, like playing a game or reading books, probably will just make things worse.

• When possible, fresh air works wonders! I always try to sit on the deck of any small watercraft. When the waters got rough on our Catamaran trip pictured above, my husband brought our daughter below deck to keep her from getting soaked. The cool water splashing on my face and the wind whipping through my hair helped ease my nausea. My daughter, on the other hand, threw up all over my poor hubby. Better him than me, my friends!

Do you have a motion sickness remedy that I missed? Leave a comment about it below!

For more information on this topic see:

• Get a Good Night’s Sleep on Vacation with Babies and Children

• Health & Safety Tips

• How to Stay Healthy & Fit While Traveling

• The Most Important Item to Pack…A Bucket!

 

Tags: ,

 Subscribe in a reader - or - Subscribe to Travel Mamas by RSS Email

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 11th, 2009 at 12:05 am and is filed under Family Vacations, Travel Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.