Toddlers that get car sick

my 2 year old is now getting car sick! If in the car for too long, he starts to cry and then he pukes! went apple picking this weekend and it was a 1hr drive. I prepared myself and brought a ton of extra clothes and wipes. he was miserable. Puked on the way home also. Still have to call the ped and ask her if i can give him dramamine. I am driving to philadelphia next weekend and i am not looking forward to the drive! i am a single mom, so i dont have anyone else to help me.

Does anyone elses DC get car sick too? Any idea how to handle this?

Re: Toddlers that get car sick

put a shade on the window so he cant look out.

Re: Toddlers that get car sick

They make dramamine for kids. My cousin was taking it at 2 y/o. Half a chewable tablet. No greasy foods before you leave and out on the road. Let him eat crackers if he is hungry..

Toddlers that get car sick

DS got sick too. I have a pail with a hole so I can tie a string to his car seat. He's 4. Got car sick about a month ago. Reached for his pail. I only had to clean up a tiny drop on his seat belt.

You can try ginger cookies or flat ginger aile (put a teaspoon of sugar in a can of ginger ale and it will go flat. You have to pour it into a larger container b/c its like a volcano - expands.

I tell DS to take a nap - i used to get car sick but not when I was sleeping. I don't let him watch a DVD player b/c those get me sick too while moving.

I also make stops and pull over when he says he's going to be sick. It seems like 2 hours is his limit.

Check out these tips from Bonine(some don't apply):
Tips for the motion sick traveler

Taking Bonine® right before you travel can help keep motion sickness at bay. For other ways to stop motion sickness from being your traveling companion, pack this handy list of DOs and DON'Ts:

DOs
1.Choose your seat carefully. Sitting in the front seat of a car or bus, sitting over the wing of a plane, or being in the central cabin on a ship can help you feel less motion.
2.If you're traveling by car, offer to drive. Driving instead of riding in a vehicle can help reduce symptoms.
3.Breathe deep through your mouth, not your nose.
4.Turn the air vent toward your face if you're traveling by car or plane.
5.Look out the window at some stationary point.
6.If you're in a boat, look at the horizon.
7.Drink caffeinated beverages (ginger ale is particularly calming).
8.Carry some mint or ginger flavored lozenges with you. They may help with nausea.
9.Chew on dry crackers.
10.Eat light meals or snacks low in calories 24 hours before air travel.

DON'Ts
1.Avoid reading in the car, particularly on a winding, bumpy road. You don't need to add motion, when your body is having trouble dealing with it.
2.Don't smoke. (Smoking can make a lot of things worse!)
3.Avoid big, greasy meals and alcohol before travel.
4.Don't overeat.
5.Avoid traveling on an empty stomach. An empty stomach can be just as bad as one with the wrong foods in it.
6.Don't bring strong-smelling foods or snacks.
7.Avoid rear seats on a plane or in a car.
8.Don't sit backwards either (this goes for riding the train).
9.Don't go below if you're out on a boat. Stuffy quarters without a view of the horizon may make you feel a lot worse.
10.Don't forget to take a motion sickness medication—like Bonine®.

Message edited 10/9/2012 3:47:22 PM.

Re: Toddlers that get car sick

My 2yr old does the same thing. I'm now SO stressed when we have to drive longer than a half hour.

What I do is make sure that if we have anywhere long distance to go, that he is finished eating at least an hour before we go.

I only offer snacks of cheerios or pretzels in the car and water only.

I keep PLENTY change of clothes in the car as well as an extra seat cover for his car seat. (I had a car seat we had to replace, so I had an extra cover).

Paper towels and lots of them! Plastic bags and I keep those already soaped up wipes for kids in the car (as well as anti bacterial wipes).

I just asked the ped at his 2 year well visit, and unfortunately there is not much you can do at this age because they don't understand how to do the things they can do to fight off the nausea.

We do have a shade on the window, but it doesn't help.

Also, if I can, I try to time trips at times that I know he would fall asleep in the car.

ETA: I also have ginger cookies, but he doesn't like them.

Message edited 10/9/2012 5:07:26 PM.

Re: Toddlers that get car sick

I recently learned motion sickness is hereditary! Makes sense as XDH always became motion sick and DD does as well. Wondering if your families are similar?

Re: Toddlers that get car sick

Single mom with a car sick toddler here! Ugh, it's awful. My peditrician said no dramamine, but I waited til he was little older (he started at a year and a half, so I waited til he was about 2-2 1/2) and I gave it to him. I gave him a 1/2 tablet and crunched it up in his yogurt. No issues that trip! But, my son will get carsick in the car on way to preschool now and its only a 10 minute drive. Pediatrician recommended that I move him to the center seat so he can see out the window. That seems to have helped. And, he can't use my phone or read in the car anymore. Plus, I have a beach pale that we have dubbed "the puke bucket" and he holds it under his mouth if he starts to feel sick and I can't get over to the side of the road fast enough.

ETA: I was told that putting a shade on the window will make him MORE sick. He needs to look out the window and associate the movement with what he's seeing. So, we play games in the car and I have him "find" something that I am lookin for. Usually a flag or street sign. I bought the sea bands also (which we call the "no puke" bands) and he wears them on long trips. I dont know if they work, but I'm desperate.

Message edited 10/9/2012 8:53:13 PM.

Re: Toddlers that get car sick

Looking at the horizon helps. I get really car sick and it I look out the side windows, I get nauseous. But if I look straight ahead, I am ok.

Toddlers that get car sick

ds gets car sick when we go on the southern state toward the jersey shore.....

I haven't tried yet, but there use to be motion sickness bands...

Re: Toddlers that get car sick

DD (now 3.5) started getting car sick around 2 years old. It was awful, anytime we were in the car for more than a half hour she would become very pale, drowsy and then throw up all over the place.

We started trying to figure out what might be causing or exacerbating her nausea. We gave her the chewable Dramamine a few times on longer trips (I believe over 2 years old is fine) and I give her lollipops. I also bought child size Sea-Bands.

The most important thing I think we've discovered is that giving her food or drink right before or during travel sets her off. For the past few trips she's been okay if we avoid drinking and eating for at least an hour before we leave.

Aside from prevention, I now keep a bucket near her seat to catch the mess. Bring a few changes of clothes along too! Good luck, it's not easy.

Message edited 10/9/2012 11:17:18 PM.