To not give my child anything for breakfast?

[heygoldfish]

At present, my 7 year old attends a small prep school and needs to get a bus. Initially I drove her but I am working full time now.

She is very travel sick, as am I, and is nearly always sick on a journey almost regardless of it's length (she once was sick on the way to our local garden centre which is less than three minutes away) but tends to only be sick once. Of course, we've tried tablets and sweet sucking but nothing much makes a difference - she's better in the front.

The reason I'm mentioning the food is because if she is ill, it's so much easier in the 'mopping up process' it's just water - not a combination of whatever she ate that morning.

I am thinking it's better for her to go out with an empty stomach and a banana to have when she's in school. She eats very healthily and doesn't really like eating very early anyway.

Does the school run a breakfast club?
Will the school allow her a few minutes to eat something? Maybe a banana and something else, a muffin or teacake or something

Is she going to get sick on the bus? How is she going to manage that? Carry a container? How is that going to work for her?

A banana isn't enough, isn't there a breakfast club she could go to?

There isn't a breakfast club.

On the bus, the driver can generally pull over but of course it isn't a given and if there is an accident and in fact even if there isn't, it's better she has an empty stomach. I know sometimes nausea can be worse with an empty stomach - mine was when I was expecting my children - but with motion sickness it seems better with nothing.

She doesn't ever want much for breakfast anyway so I think in her case a banana is fine and a drink of water of course.

Why not give her a pack up with breakfast in to have when she arrives?

It's not the breakfast that would worry me so much (eating at 9 or so isn't that big a deal) as a 7 yr old on a bus on her own every day feeling and being sick and relying on a bus driver to pull over.

Is she going to cope with that? Is it a school bus or a public bus?

Well yes - that's what the banana would be. There wouldn't be time to eat lots of things like a packed lunch.

In fairness How she is used to it. Unfortunately it's just something that's always plagued the poor kid as it does me and I don't know if it's something that is passed on or not but I do still get very unwell if on a bus or the backseat of a car.

There isn't really any way around it other than to move schools which long term I think would be more unsettling as she is happy and enjoying school life.

It's a school bus.

I totally sympathise with your DD - I was exactly the same for most of my childhood - 10 minutes in a car was awful for me and everybody else with me!
What you plan sounds fine to me, it's pointless giving her breakfast if she's going to chuck it all up again half an hour later, but does the school do a tuck shop during morning break in case she has a mid morning dip?
That's the only part that I would worry about.

There's plenty of lovely food at play and lunch time so quite happy on that score. :)

I used to get horribly travel sick. I realised that what was doing it was looking out of the side windows. I don't know why. But that's why I was better in the front of a car because I was looking forwards. Having the side view whizzing past is what made me sick.

Weird isn't it? It's because of the ears I am sure I read somewhere. To do with balance or something.

I get travel sick, if I were your DD I'd prefer an empty stomach and a banana/breakfast biscuit in my bag. Also a spare top, sick bag, wipes & tooth brush. Can you also talk to school and explain she needs to eat once she's there?

Apparently it's to do with your brain believing you are hallucinating and trying to expel any poisons! Dd found out about it in the summer after a miserable trip through wales.

She will now tell anyone she meets 'nausea' is derived from the Greek 'naus' for ship after sailors got sea-sick!

Have you checked that there are no causes to her travel sickness I have a severe astigmatism that causes it due to my eyes not working together. My friend has a issue with her ears that effects her balance and causes it. Both of these can be helped with appropriate support.

My experience as a child who could never eat much in early in the morning, my mom would always make sure I had a healthy snack to have at break and something like a buttered muffin or a banana (something quick and easy) to have just before lessons started after arriving at school.

My experience as the mother of a child who suffers terribly with travel sickness is as you said, empty stomach is better than full. Helps with minimising the nausea and if/when she is sick it's not so unpleasant for her or to clean up.

Huge sympathy for your DD, my DS and I are both fellow sufferers. I just wondered if she had tried the acupressure wrist bands to take the edge off the nausea?

I know it's no help for the school bus but always found that a Walkman gimmer and headphones really helped me on long journeys.
I've taught my DD1 to put herself to 'sleep', it's odd but if she kind of settles down with her eyes shut she drowses but is usually aware if what's going on. Almost like a meditation really. I know it sounds a bit woo but she isn't sick when she does it so I don't care!

It doesn't sound like you have much choice, give her something to take with her, speak to the school so they know she needs to eat, she'll be fine!

Thanks. Have tried wristbands to no avail - it's persistent if nothing else!

I'm sure she will be fine with a banana and maybe a breakfast bar.

Hi I read that if you focus on something like an iPad or something non moving this improves things dramatically by fooling the brain into thinking you aren't travelling.

That makes it ten times worse in my experience - trying to read or look at a tablet would be guaranteed to induce a vomiting session!

And of course yanbu by not giving breakfast. There's no point if she's throwing it up!

What happens on the way home ?

In answer your question an empty ice cream container with a lid, packet of fragrance free wipes (purely on the basis that anything smelly would make me gag more!) & a sandwich, rather than a banana, to eat after the sick + drink. Are you giving her a toothbrush & paste too ? Be nice for her to clean her teeth at school.

Willow - I can pick her up on the way home.

I think a sandwich would be a little bit heavy and she wouldn't be likely
to eat it.

I think she'd cover herself in toothpaste if I sent her in with some.