Preschool trip, travel sickness and coach safety

[glorious]

DD's class are off on a trip next week. 30 mins each way on a coach.

She is extremely travel sick and will almost certainly throw up at least twice each way. Understandably she can find this quite distressing.

I'm supposed to be volunteering at the hospital in a specialist role that day so I can't go with her unless I let the hospital down.

I am also not happy about the idea of a 4 year old either in a coach not using the seatbelt or using the seatbelt without a booster (though I believe it is legal).

Set against all that it would be sad if she were to miss out and they will probably think I'm nuts if I say she can't go.

I know this is a ridiculous thing to get worried about but life is very stressful at the moment and it feels like too much for me to decide this today.

Help. What would you do?

Tell the teachers and let them deal with it.
DD won't be the first car sick child they've taken on a coach.

Could get dad take her to the venue, and pick her up later?

Probably not that will throw up every ten minutes for the whole journey and potentially also after they stop, though.

bike DH is at work and we can't take her in the car with just the driver and nobody else as the while thing would get covered in vomit and she'd be distraught.

Has she ever been on a. Is he trip before?
It could be that the excitement will distract her from feeling sick. It's not very far, is it?

In any case, discuss with the teachers. They will have a solution.

• on a coach trip before

Have you tried the travel bands? I found they worked quite well. Travel seats aren't required on coaches, trains, buses etc etc because they are less likely to be involved in accidents and if they are, at slower speeds and with much smaller vehicles.

In a practical note it wouldn't be practical to have 30 - 60 odd parents trapsing around with car seats to put on the bus and fit correctly.

Is she old enough for travel sickness tablets? My eldest gets very sick, but the tablets (she takes Sturgeron) are amazing.

Also, when my preschoolers went on a coach we all took booster seats and car seats in and the staff made sure every child was buckled in properly. I don't see why that is much of an issue - there were around 40 kids, took the 10 staff / parents helpers about 10 minutes to do it

socks because then the staff would be responsible if they fitted them incorrectly and there was an accident. It's unnecessary.

When I have been on coach trips recently the seatbelts have a child setting so they sit properly on the child's shoulder (doing the job of a booster cushion). If you are worried though have you asked if you can provide a hbb?

Can your DD throw up into a bag/bucket? Mine a both carsick and my older one was pretty independent from 4, younger one is 3 and still needs help. Maybe a practice journey beforehand?

DD gets extremely travel sick. Even a bus journey for more than 15 minutes does not end well. We recently tried her on boots own travel sickness tablets (suitable for 4 year olds) on a 2 hour car journey. Gave her a quarter of a tablet 30 minutes before and she didn't even feel sick let alone throw up. I'd definitely recommend giving them a try.

lunar could you send me details of those Boots tablets? We've asked in Boots ( and everywhere else) but they had nothing for under fives. Are they the hyoscine ones? If so they are out of stock everywhere because nobody can get hyoscine at the moment. socks sturgeron is five and up. We have tried bands and everything else non medical.

It may be legal to go without a car seat but it's not something I'm prepared to do. This coach will be on fast A roads not city streets. Plus we have drilled car safety into DD and I think it's quite confusing to say it doesn't apply on a coach. I understand others have different views and that's fine.

Anyway, I spoke to them at pickup and they are happy to use her car seat and the coach has normal 3 point seat belts. There are only 20 children and nobody else is using a seat as far as I know so I don't think it will be too hard.

She can be sick in a bowl but not independently and she finds it very upsetting. They can put an adult next to her and they are happy to deal with it but I don't know whether it will be too much for her. I will probably send her given that the car seat is sorted but I hope it doesn't end in tears.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts.

For practicality - provide 2x change of clothes and plastic bags and a pack of baby wipes. Cover whole lap in a thick towel. Vomit in to a large tupperware box lined with a teatowel and with a lock-close plastic lid.

To give you a glimmer of hope - they do seem to grow out of it a bit eventually, and by mid/top of primary are much more adept at neatly being sickening to a drain :-)

There is definitely a kids travel pill for under fives, was something like a half tablet, Kwells I think. Used to use joyrides but they don't seem to be in stock anywhere anymore.

Also make sure she sits at the front of the bus.

DS is the same and the doctor prescribed him a motility medicine. It's not ideal but it does work and we only use it on coaches ( school trips). He used it as a baby anyway, for reflux

You could try Phenergan. It's an anti histamine but also used for travel sickness. We used it when DD refused tablet but would take a liquid.

LtGreggs that's similar to our current system . Thanks for the hope!

brie kwells are hyoscine and not being made at the moment. If you know of where there are some in stock then I'd love to find them!

Rabaria thanks I'll look into that

I second phenergan. Can make them drowsy though (it didn't with my child).

Our GP prescribed liquid infant Piriton. It works a treat on my daughter. You can buy it over the counter. It's an antihistamine but also works on travel sickness, same as fruit pastille's suggestion.

I've got a box of the Boots tablets. Children 3-5 years can take a quarter of a tablet. They are the hyoscine hydrobromide ones. DD2 took the same ones on a school trip using the Scilly ferry. She was the only one that didn't throw up so I really rate them.

Yes they are the Hyoscine ones, glorious. Didn't realise there was a shortage on them. I must have been lucky because I see the shortage started in March and I bought these at the end of May. I can pop back in to my local one today and see if they have any left if you'd like? I'd offer to cut the strip and send you a couple that I already have but completely understand if you don't want to accept medicine from a random on the Internet!

DD' takes piriton for allergies but it has no noticeable effect on sickness for her. Also makes her very sleepy so I'd be concerned that she'd miss the trip if she took that or phenergan.

Sounds like hyoscine is the thing! lunar that would be so kind of you if you are passing the shop sometime soon. I can send you the money if they do have any. Don't deprive yourself of your existing ones because who knows when they will appear again.

@glorious just picked up last pack! PM me your address and I can send them to you

Oh my goodness lunar you are a total angel! Thank you so much, I will PM you now.