10 Best Tips to Manage Car Sickness
As excited as I am to hit the road this summer, there’s one thing I am very much not excited about, motion sickness. My 11 y.o. Clare, in particular, is very much prone to getting sick in the car. I’m hoping she outgrows this, but for now, it’s not much fun.
We’ve tried Dramamine for Kids. It’s worked fine, but given we’re going to be in the car for many, many hours this summer I wanted to see what other remedies and tips for managing nausea were out there. Here are best bets for managing motion sickness.
Tips to Manage Car Sickness
1. Sniff Peppermint Oil. Essential oils, like peppermint and grapefruit, can help with motion sickness. Some grocery stores carry 10 ml bottles, so pick one up to stash in your purse or a small travel bag before hitting the road.
2. Stagger Medicine Dosage. If you opt for Dramamine or Bonine, my friend Katie at La Jolla Mom suggests staggering dosage. So, if the dosage is two pills every 4-6 hours, try giving one pill every three hours so there’s always anti-nausea medication moving through your child’s system.
3. Chew on Ginger. Ginger has been known to help combat motion sickness, so have ginger snaps, ginger chews or ginger gum on hand at all times. Make sure it’s at the ready well before nausea strikes.
4. Try Sea-Bands. Pick up pressure wristbands, like Sea-Bands, at any major drugstore. Kids should put them on before getting in the car. If put on while on the drive, they can take five minutes to quell nausea.
[easyazon_infoblock align=”center” cart=”n” identifier=”B005CD81R4″ locale=”US” tag=”kidventurous-20″]
5. Sit in the Front Seat. Focusing on the horizon can help calm nausea so I like to have my stomach-sick daughter sit in the front seat. It’s easier to see the horizon there than from the back seat of the minivan.
6. Keep it Cool. Crank up the AC in the car. Once your child starts to get too warm on the ride, it can be easy for nausea to take over. Fortunately, a very cool car, even ice packs, can help keep nausea at bay.
7. Smell a Potato. I saw this one on TODAY Parents and have got to try this out, no matter how strange. Co-host Megan Colarossi claims that the earthy smell of a potato helps calm a queasy tummy.
8. Eat at Least 30 Minutes Before You Get on the Road. Get some food in little bellies before hitting the road. It’s too late once you start driving and tummies get stirred up, as we learned after making a stop three hours into our drive. Strawberry smoothie came back up minutes after getting back on the road.
[easyazon_infoblock align=”center” cart=”n” identifier=”B007TIVLQ8″ locale=”US” tag=”kidventurous-20″]
9. Create an “Anti-Nausea Kit” for the Road. Bring along an “anti-nausea kit” for the car that includes the remedies you may need, including peppermint oil, ginger snaps and a baking potato.
10. Stash Freezer Bags throughout the Car. Buy a box of gallon-size storage bags and stash them in pockets throughout the car. This way, a bag is always within reaching distance in case nausea does get the best of your motion sickness-prone child.
Do you have any tried-and-true tips to manage car sickness? Let me know in the comments section below.
Photo Credit: MortAuPat
