Travel sick on journey to school

[Sleeperandthespindle]

DS starts school next week. His travel sickness has got worse over this summer and he is often sick 20 minutes into a journey! We live rurally and it is a 20 minute drive to the village where school is. Last term he was sick a couple of times on this journey and had to miss childminders/ preschool. It was definitely 'only' travel sickness though and I don't want him to be missing school/ me to be missing work for it.

Anyone had this problem and found a solution? Kwells seemed to make it worse on holiday. We've taken to keeping a bucket in the back and he's good at using it, poor thing.

[Rainbowunicorn71]

I swear by travella, a herbal remedy. They don't make you drowsy but really seem to work for me anyway.

[RainyDaisy]

Can you put him in the front seat?

Obviously no reading or looking at toys or gadgets in the car.

Plenty of fresh air (windows open), as being too hot makes it worse.

A bit of breakfast, but not too much liquid (sloshing in tummy!).

Drive slowly if roads are windy (so leave early)

And try ginger. Either crystallised ginger (from health food shop) or capsules if he doesn't like the taste

Don't drive too close to other vehicles are the smell of the exhausts can be nauseating

And try sea-bands (acupuncture bands for his wrists).

[228agreenend]

Have you tried the wrist bands?

[RozzlePops]

Agree with front seat if you can. Or wrist bands.

I wouldn't want him popping pills every day, herbal or not.

[Aftershock15]

Can you talk to the school before hand so they understand that the vomiting is not an illness? Sounds like he can be sick neatly in the bucket so you just need to allow time for him to recover and go in.

I had a ds suffering from sickness and diarrhoea which turned out to be coeliacs. He was tested for everything contagious going then allowed back to school after 2 weeks. It took 2 terms to get a diagnosis and he couldn't have missed all that time.

[jamdonut]

It's not ideal, but I agree with the front seat...if you can look straight ahead it helps. Sucking strong mints also is helpful!

I sympathise, I'm 52 and STILL get travel sick, if I sit in the back of cars, or on coaches,trains,boats....but I can drive as far as you like, without ever feeling sick!
It's hard when I have to go on school trips. I take a travel sickness pastille ( I can't remember the name) which usually works for 12 hours...but I'm no use if any of the children are sick!

As long as school are aware, there shouldn't be any problem with him having to miss any school. Do they have a breakfast club he could go to , so he doesn't have to eat anything before the journey, if that would help?

[Sleeperandthespindle]

Thanks for all your ideas. The front seat hasn't made any difference really, apart from me being able to make sure the bucket is in situ.

I don't want to use meds every day. I'll try 'magic' wrist bands and certainly agree with informing school. It's got much worse recently so I hadn't put it on his medical form.

He never wants to eat breakfast at home but is with his childminder for an hour before school.

[MrsJayy]

Seabands worked for dd I dunno how they work but they did so she used to wear them all the time she

[Ditsy4]

Yes to bands. They press on acupuncture points to stop nausea. I have them and so does DD. DD prefers the Velcro ones which seem to be difficult to find now. Boots have the other elastic ones. Keep them in the car as they get lost easily being small. Nibbling on a ginger nut might help. Tell school in the beginning as he might feel a bit unwell when he arrives and they need to flag him up for school trips. You might need to give him a tablet for those days and warn them he will need a bucket. We like to know!
Poor soul. I know how he feels I get car sick going to work if DH drives me. Also live in the country so winding roads, slurry etc then stop start traffic in town. Used to transport DD to Secondary on my way to work and she was the same. Primary was fine as we lived two minutes walk away

[gonzo155]

Let the school know and remind them when there are trips. For some reason the TS children never mention it at the start of the trip and then sit at the back :S

If the school know then it should be fine, although our rule is if a child is known to be TS then they can stay in school if sick on bus but if sick again or sick in school they have to be sent home so it might be worth leaving a bit early so he can have 5 mins to feel better before going in.