School run car sickness

[Spirael]

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? :)

Joy rides (and Kwells kids which are the same ingredient and also suitable for under 5s) do the job for DD. they aren't available in England at the moment though, although I'm not quite sure why. They can be bought online or if you pop up to Scotland!

I'd definitely put her in the front, this helps anyone I know who's car sick! The airbags don't need to be turned off for a child to sit in the front (unless they're in a rear facing seat!), you just need to put the seat far back.

I can see why the school have had to exclude her for 48hrs, if she is only sick about 10 minutes before going into school how do they know it isn't a bug and she won't then throw up all morning and pass it on to everyone?

that aside though I think you face quite a potential problem with her fearing journeys to be honest. If it does become a regular thing then she could grow up always anxious about going in cars/buses and so on, it is horrible to be that travel sick as a child, really truly horrible and the worst part is the fact you are completely out of control, you know you want to stop the car and get out but you can't. you don't have that power. It is something you will have to watch. I understand your reasons but as someone who feels sick in a car travelling about a mile if I am not driving I would honestly say stuff the swimming and walk to school. I feel sick but haven't been car sick for many years but due to a miserable childhood of car journeys I will do anything to avoid being a passenger in a vehicle.

I think I'd be inclined to find something which could pass as travel sickness medicine and give it to her. The power of the mind can work wonders.

I don't know why the school won't take DD either. Its not as if she's I'll. I'd "have a word".

I don't think you can put a child under the age of 11 in the front with air bags. They can't take the pressure of the bag inflating. Do think about getting them turned off though. Might not be as difficult as you think.

May be worth going to GP - they might be able to prescribe something that pharmacist can't sell over the counter.
And talk to school -ask if they have any suggestions - might find an earlier place in breakfast club, might stop excluding her - you never know!
Good luck!

Despite best efforts, DD1 was unfortunately sick again on route this morning. :( So, onto the backup plan of not taking her on the morning journey! Will burn favours with friends on Tuesdays for a few weeks and keep my fingers crossed a space comes available in the breakfast club.

On the plus side, school are happy it is car sickness and not a bug, so have let her attend. :)

Poor old DD. Just a thought - it's nothing to do with nerves is it? Is she settling at school? (Even though she might be OK on the outside, she might be worried and nervous on the inside).

We found milky stuff was the problem but it sounds like you've already eliminated milk.

I think the air bag thing depends on your carseat manufacturer. Our carseat (britax) says you can put it in the front without disabling the airbag, as long as you push it as far back as it can go.

In practical terms, I find a bottle of water and a muslin much more effective for wiping up than wet wipes. Some sort of plastic/oilcloth apron may help.

Re breakfast at school, she will get fruit and you can sign her up for milk mid-morning so, if she likes those, I don't think you need to give her a full packed breakfast. If she doesn't drink milk, maybe you could send in a carton of juice. Maybe some cream crackers or breadsticks before school.

Did the pharmacist stock Traveleze? My DD has had that and is less than 5.
The Book People currently have a set of Roald Dahl books on DC for a really good price. DD has enjoyed The Twits & Fantastic Mr Fox so far.

We are a family of car sickness sufferers , tips which help are:

Story CDs
Dry cereal in a little pot to munch in the car
Ginger biscuits

We have never found the bracelets much good .

But my all time remedy which practically never fails ( but you might not like the idea) is chewing gum . Not sure whether its the fact that it stimulates the salivary glands or what but it definitely works.

"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."

Totally agree. Try pretending you are a chauffeur driving a VIP who's drinking a cup of coffee which you absolutely mustn't spill. Accelerate very gradually and allow plenty of space between your car and the one in front so you can brake gradually. Slow down a lot for curves. Try to discover whether you or your dh is the better driver in this respect, and have that person do more of the driving. The "rougher" driver can try to pay attention to the details of the smoother driving style of the more talented partner and try to imitate the method!

The car makes a difference too. Some cars have quite "hard" braking and suspension, which makes for a more miserable ride even with a smooth driver. Knowing this won't help in the short term, but when you next replace your car, take it into account.

as long as children are in the appropriate child restraint then they can legally sit in the front (unless rear facing in a seat with active airbag). Move the seat as far back from the dashboard as possible

Can you put her in the back seat behind the passenger seat, and remove the headrest of the front seat? That way she can see out of the front and may not get so sick.

Poor thing, we're a car sick family (especially DD) and this would be torture for her every day.
I'd be massively inclined to make H cycle to work or something, or, if he really can't get there any other way, can you not walk to school with both girls?
Other than that windows open, and savoury snacks. Poor girl though, and harsh of school to send her home...

I would try a magic ring

With a lot of children, travel sickness can be psychosomatic

Get some sugar paper and cut it in to a ring the same size as her seat

It has to be a ring otherwise it doesn't work

Tell her it's a magic ring that stops rumbly tummies as all the rumblies go into the ring and they can't get out so she won't be sick

It's amazing how effective it is

I don't think DD1 is excessively nervous about starting school. She's always run in with barely a backwards glance and not wanted to come home at the end of the day! (That'll change. )

She has said a couple times now that the car is making her sick. I've disagreed and pointed out that her tummy just doesn't like mornings and we need to be gentle with it until it finishes waking up. Kind of like how Mummy's brain doesn't like mornings either.

Horrendous traffic yesterday meant that our journey out to collect DH from work after school took 1 hour 30 minutes and DD1 didn't seem to have any issues then at all. (DD2 on the other hand objected loudly...) So the problem is purely isolated to that morning journey.

DH cycling to work isn't an option, mostly because we don't own a bicycle but also because even if we did the roads he'd have to travel on are definitely not cycle friendly. Avoiding them would mean a journey that took hours.

I can walk to school with the girls, but if DH goes off to work with the car then I'm left without it for the day. Means I have trouble juggling appointments for DD2 with public transport and school hours, and also can't get a lot of things done that I'd rather do during the week than spend weekend time on.

Hopefully we've avoided the need for DD1 to be in the car for the morning journey for the forseeable, but will try offering snacks for her to nibble on if there is a need for it. :)

One question for those with car sickness or children with car sickness. Do they get air sick too? We have an eight hour plane journey next spring...

All four of us in our family have quite bad car sickness and none of us gets air sick. Even when there is turbulence I certainly have never felt it at all. Also, for what it's worth, I don't think withholding food helps. In fact my daughter's travel sickness definately improved when we stopped starving her before journeys! I think I read somewhere that eating before a journey can actually help- obviously not too much, and there is always the balance to be struck if it is likely just to come back up again..

Have her eyes tested.

Seriously, my dd used to have horrendous car sickness and it's very very common if they have muscles in their eyes pulling at different strengths- she had a wandering eye, but did exercises to correct this and hasn't been car sick since she got it sorted.

Go to an optometrist to check convergence and accommodation in her eyes.

No juice or sweet stuff for breakfast. Bread, toast, milk etc is fine. (sweet stuff, especially juice and liquids acerbate car sickness), salty stuff like ham or cheese sandwich is great as it calms the stomach.

Keep the car as cold as you can bear it (heat acerbates car sickness), and the child very cool (no hot jumpers, coats etc.)

Put on an audio book on the CD player to distact her.

No other distractions, let her look out of the window is best.

Sadly I am an expert!

Don't NOT eat, she must eat! No food means low blood sugar, which means prone to sickness. Sugary food means high blood sugar which again increases sickness chance. A good stable blood sugar helps, which is achieved by slow release carbs (bread, cereal, crackers, crumpets etc.) and protein.

We traveled with empty ice cream tubs to throw up in. NO longer necessary though, hurrah

I'd let your DH drive himself to work, you walk to school and take a taxi if you need to eg to swimming. If it's not a long journey it is probably going to be cheaper than going to breakfast club each day as a solution.

If she has to be in the car the middle back seat might be better as she'll be able to look out of the windscreen.

Also the money you save on fuel could go toward occasional taxi's.

Do you know any other parents whose children go to your school? Just wondering if they could drop your DD off at school, then she could be dropped at their house first, then you drive on to your DH's work.