Travel Sickness

[THERESA]

It would seem that my daughter (aged 4 1/2) is going to be prone to car sickness. Our last long journey (October) of about 3 hours resulted in her being sick on the way there and back again. Last week we were only out for 3/4 hour and she was sick again. We've a couple of 3 hour trips planned over the next few months and wondered what anyone suggested. I've read on previous threads about a personal sterio which I'll try but I don't think she'd keep it on for long. Various products were mentioned, anyone recommend one in particular (or maybe the wristbands?)

If you've got a car with no airbag on the front passenger side, or where you can switch it off, you could try getting her to sit in the front. Being able to see your surroundings is a big help, and being in the back with lesser visibility - especially if she does anything like look at books so she's taking her eyes off the world outside - can be a trigger. Try to introduce activities like i-spy which keep her looking outside. Oh, and keeping the windows slightly open to ensure she's getting plenty of fresh air will probably help too.

try nelsons' "travella" tablets,they're homeopathic ones and they've worked a treat on me and my ds(4),infact they are the only thing that has ever worked for me.

GillW - are you not supposed to let a child in the front passenger seat if the car is fitted with an air bag on that side? I've always let my DD (6.6) in the front on her booster seat from around 4.5. I have hear phenergen (?) is good for travel sickness too.

rosehip - the guidance is that:

Airbags were made to protect adults weighing about 75 kg. They are very powerful when they are inflated and they are placed so low that a child placed in front of an airbag may suffocate.

If your child is younger than 12 years they must never sit in a front-seat with an active airbag in front of them. When your child is over 12 and wants to sit in the front seat, move the seat as far back as possible.

A child seat must never be fitted in the front passenger seat if the car has a passenger side airbag. Some cars enable the driver to switch off the airbag. But it should be switched on again when an adult is using the seat.

hi theresa ,sucking on slices of lemon helps if she can`t stand the taste maybe you could put the slices in a plastic bag and sprinkle some sugar on them!

Theresa - wristbands are amazing, they are brilliant, fantastic, worth £500 each! I was a complete sceptic, didn't believe they could possibly work - though admitted to the possibility that they could have a psychological effect for an adult.

DS1 and Ds2 suddenly developed car sickness last summer (aged 3 and 5) - we changed car and roads (moved house!), so not sure why. But it got so bad that ds2 would be physically sick 20 mins from home on EVERY journey, regardless of when or what he'd eaten, any time of day, and any roads. (We tried the drugs - joy riders - they were awful - sent my kids hyper for 20 mins, then asleep for 30 mins, then pretty manic for the rest of the day, and completed disrupted their sleep patterns for next 48 hrs ... Don't try them.)

In desperation I agreed with a friend to try the wristbands. Since first putting them on (about 3 months ago) they have never been sick again, and claim never to have even felt sick.

Try them!

Thanks everyone. I think we'll give the wristbands a try first. I'll post the outcome as I'm sure it'll be of interest to others.

Second the wristbands, they are also brilliant for morning sickness.