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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

School run car sickness

52 replies

Spirael · 09/09/2014 14:31

I am in need of ideas on how to get around a problem!

DD1 has just started reception full time. I am currently on maternity leave with DD2 who is three months old. DD1 should have a place in the before and after school club when I go back to work, but that's not until February.

DH and I share one car, getting another one is not financially feasible at this point. DH starts work at 8:30am. This is not negotiable at present as he's just started a new job and doesn't want to rock the boat while still on probation.

Our plan was that I would drop DH at work at 8:20am, a drive of about 25 mins. Then I swing back and drop DD1 at school for 8:50am before heading home with DD2.

We leave the house at about 7:50am and have dutifully been giving DD1 a good (but not huge) breakfast before setting off so that she's not going to school hungry. Problem is, towards the end of the 50 minute round trip, DD1 is getting car sick and throwing up her breakfast.

School then exclude her for 48 hours... At this rate, she is never going to go to school!!

I can use the childcare vouchers I've been building up during maternity leave to put her in the breakfast club, but there is only a space on Monday and Friday, which would solve those days but not the others.

On some days I can let DH take the car and drive himself, then walk DD1 to school. But there are times I need the car - for example on Tuesdays, in order to collect DD1 and get her to swimming lessons in the tiny window between school end and lesson start. There are no other swimming lesson times available and I can't walk or public transport the journey in the gap. Or afford taxis each week!

We have no friends or family nearby who can childcare for DD1 regularly.

There must be an option I'm missing in my sleep deprived state! Anyone know what it is? :)

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

PatriciaHolm · 09/09/2014 14:33

Breakfast in the car towards the end of the journey? (muffins, brioche etc)

Loveleopardprint · 09/09/2014 14:37

Can you turn off any airbags and let her sit in the front. My youngest DD had to sit in the front but she is 11. Not sure if you would be happy with a younger child in the front?

mausmaus · 09/09/2014 14:37

how far is it to school? can you walk?

ElephantsNeverForgive · 09/09/2014 14:38

Don't give her breakfast. Give her a substantial snack for break.

My secondary school bus made me feel sick. I was fine if I didn't worry about breakfast and are the malt loaf in my packed lunch at break.

I grew out of it when I got used to the bus, I'm sure your DD will too.

Middleagedmotheroftwo · 09/09/2014 14:38

Sucking on a boiled sweet always helps my DD when she feels sick. Or could you put her, in her child seat, in the front of the car. It always helps when you can see where you're going.

Some people swear by the bands you wear on your wrists.

Is she car sick at any other time?

Lastly, could you give her a travel sickness pill a little while before you set off? (you could, after a while, switch this for a placebo).

noramum · 09/09/2014 14:46

No food until she is at school?

What is she doing in the car? We found that DD can get travel sick quite easily when she is reading or looking at a comic. So we invested into various storytapes and music CDs to keep the boredom away. She also has her window open when she starts getting queasy (she doesn't like curvy country lanes as well).

ElephantsNeverForgive · 09/09/2014 14:47

Also think what you give her for breakfast. I found bread and honey, much better than milky cereal. Fruit may be healthy, but acidic fruit or juice is awful for making you feel sick.

After a week or two of no breakfast, I'd try a jam sandwich, cereal bar or bit of fruit loaf and a small glass of squash in the car at the school gate and hopeful in a few months she'll eat similar at home.

Fancy healthy breakfasts are all very well, but not if they make her feel ill and totally inconvenience everyone else.

twentyten · 09/09/2014 14:50

We found using a early leArning tape player helped. Bands too.

Original poster

Spirael · 09/09/2014 14:52

I was hoping to avoid crumbs breakfast in the car, in part because it rules out most of DD1's favourite breakfasts! However if needed we can do that, so good option. :)

Unfortunately our car airbags have to be turned off by the garage, it's not something we can easily flick on and off.

She has school lunches, would sending a break time breakfast be ok or do you think it might confuse everyone and mean she risks getting no lunch as they think she's brought a packed one?

Sea bands are an option, I found mine useful for morning sickness. Will see if I can acquire some in her size!

She gets car sick when she 'reads' in the car, so we banned books. Before school she would be dropped off first at nursery (5 mins drive) and have breakfast there without issue. Previous long journeys have been fine, but we've never set off so early.

I can get to a chemist later, will ask the pharmacist about possible medication.

Thanks for the ideas! Gives me some things to try. :)

OP posts:

Original poster

Spirael · 09/09/2014 15:02

Cross posts - slowly posting one handed thanks to DD2!

DD1 is usually just playing with a small toy in the car or chattering away at with us or poking her baby sister. Will acquire some story CDs to try. Is she too young for The Hobbit?

Will try opening the window a bit, but a chunk of the journey is city driving so not much fresh air!

Her breakfast is usually a toasted bagel with various toppings, a boiled egg with soldiers or porridge alongside fruit juice. Will cut the fruit juice for a start!

Right, swimming lesson run, since DD1 has eaten and kept down two good meals and is bouncing round the house so clearly not sick. Will return later. Thanks for all the replies so far!

OP posts:

AmberTheCat · 09/09/2014 17:18

To be honest I think 50 minutes in the car before school for a 4 year old is a bit miserable, even without the being sick thing. Presumably your dh can't get himself to work by public transport, or car share, and leave you the car? Could you take a break from swimming lessons for now? If it was me I think I'd try to solve the needing to be in the car at all issue first, and only if that's possible think about the how to stop her being sick issue.

amyhamster · 09/09/2014 17:23

50 minutes in the car sounds a long time :(

katcatkat · 09/09/2014 17:27

Have you had her eyes tested as if she has an astigmatism or sight issue that could help my travel sickness is relatec to how my eyes work and wearing my glasses help lots.

WinifredTheLostDenver · 09/09/2014 17:28

Roald Dahl on story Cd is bearable over and over again...

Hoppinggreen · 09/09/2014 18:10

The front airbags only need to be off if there is a froward facing car seat, which I doubt a school age DD is in so she can go in the front.
My very car sick DD is always fine in the front of the car

NutellaPancakes · 09/09/2014 18:20

Is it just one day a week you need the car? Can your DH get to work by public transport on that one day?

DH and I had to share one car, and so he signed up to a lift-sharing website, which meant he drove someone 2 days a week, and she drove him two days a week. It was honestly a brilliant arrangement, I would really recommend signing up.

insancerre · 09/09/2014 18:21

Travel sickness can be delayed so even if you don't give her breakfast before the journey she may still be sick when she has eaten
How does dh get home if you have the car?
Do you have to do the journey again?
Can he not use public transport to get to and from work
It may mean he has to get up earlier but that's what did is already doing
Or can you not walk and give up the swimming lessons or do them at the weekend?

RunAwayHome · 09/09/2014 18:31

I remember being travel sick a lot, and it depended in part on things like temperature, fresh air, and how the person was driving. Can you check that she's not too hot, that there is fresh air if it's really fresh, but not if there are car exhaust fumes etc (which could easily set me off). And when the person driving accelerates and brakes slowly, so that it's as gentle as possible all the time, rather than jerky stop-starts. People often don't know that they drive like that, because it's not wrong, just kind of heavy-footed, but I can really tell. Even now, some people who take curves fast etc, will make me feel sick, and the journey is no faster overall, or barely faster, but the effect on me is noticeable.

You might also be able to get it documented by the doctor that she has this reaction, consistently, and thus if it happens again in those specific circumstances, the school might not make you keep her off for 48 hours. (If it diverged from that particular circumstance, so that there was even a tiny chance it was a bug, then they'd have to apply it again).

Too much liquid made me feel more sick. Also, the longer I had to digest the food, the better, and not eating if I was rushed. So perhaps if you can't eat once you get to school and have to do it before, maybe do it first thing before getting dressed etc, and see if the timing of it makes it better or worse. Getting up earlier so that it's all a bit slower paced, too.

Instead of looking down at toys etc, can she be looking out the window for number plates or letters on signs or that kind of thing.

Original poster

Spirael · 09/09/2014 20:57

Public transport isn't really an option for DH unfortunately as his work place is not particularly well serviced by buses or trains. He doesn't know his colleagues well enough yet to know which ones live local, but I'll get him to check. Will also get him looking at the lift share website.

Astigmatism runs in the family, but DD1 had her eyes tested about a month ago and doesn't seem to have any issues. (Yet!)

Swimming lessons is an awkward one. I tried frantically to get her into a weekend class, but the places got snapped up quicker than I could grab one. Once I'm back at work she won't be able to do the weekday ones, so she could well only have this term for swimming lessons anyway - which I've already paid for.

DD1 has a high backed booster seat. I'd be a bit worried about her being in the front with the air bag active, as if the air bag erupted it would go off in her face rather than against her chest due to her height.

We do the same journey again in the evening to get DH from work. Normally both girls end up napping for part of it! DD1 does not have any sickness issues for that journey, in fact she was eating a packet of M&Ms on the evening journey today.

The long journey is unfortunate, but a necessary evil at the moment. It's only for a term, because money is tight thanks to statutory maternity pittance. She is used to doing 4 hour car trips to visit family, so long journeys aren't a shock to her. Aside from when reading in the car, she's not shown inclination towards travel sickness before.

I went to the chemist earlier and all meds are for 5 years and over, so no use. I have however acquired some child sea sickness bands. I also stopped at the library and acquired some story CDs. I persuaded school down to a 24 hour exclusion in these circumstances. (i.e. If she's sick on route she goes home for that day but not the following day - assuming no further vomiting.)

So, plan for tomorrow is give her breakfast first thing before getting dressed, then give her as much time as possible to digest before we set out. We'll use the sea bands, listen to a story CD and I'll open her window a bit. I will also attempt to drive more smoothly. Hopefully all that'll resolve the issue!

If not, we'll get her into the Mon and Fri breakfast club and I'll nag them daily for a space for the other days, DH can take the car on Wed and Thurs and on Tues... We'll come up with something. Some kind of delayed breakfast, friend bribing, taxi calling, car sharing, public transport, lesson skipping plan.

Thanks again for all the collective wisdom, we now have a plan of attack! :)

OP posts:

Dancingqueen17 · 09/09/2014 21:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

idril · 09/09/2014 21:57

Definitely no playing with toys as they are usually looking down.

Can you sit her in the middle seat in the back so she can see out the front window that way? That usually helps my daughter.

wingcommandergallic · 09/09/2014 22:05

I'm astonished school would exclude your child. Car sickness is not contagious!

I think I'd be inclined to keep quiet about it.

I do sympathise with your daughter, I had dreadful car sickness as a child and still can't read in the car. Lots of great tips here though.

GangstaGranny · 09/09/2014 22:25

There used to be car sickness meds for under fives as we discovered my DD suffered age 3 and the chemist gave us joy rides (I'm sure that's what they were called. As it happens they didn't work. The travel sickness bands work really well for us as did smoother driving, sitting in the front (can't remember what age we started I'm afraid), fresh air and plenty of distraction, we've played endless rounds of I spy and sung loads of songs. Age 11 and she's not half as bad.

stealthsquiggle · 09/09/2014 22:27

I think it is worth considering getting the air bag turned off for the time that you are doing this so that she can go in the front. I know someone whose little girl was like this. Going in the front made a huge difference.

..and talk to the school. As long as you can clean her up and get her in there is no reason to exclude her at all. The little girl I knew was never excluded at all.

wingcommandergallic · 09/09/2014 22:33

Joy Rides just make you vom as soon as possible.

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