Road trips are amazing, aren't they? Especially when done with the family. They're a chance to explore, a chance to make memories you and your children will never forget, a chance to really live life to the fullest together.
The greatest part of a road trip isn't arriving at your destination, it's all the crazy stuff that happens along the way -like your child throwing up all over you, for instance.
Now, we know that's not something you want to happen (for your sake and your child's). That's why we're going to walk you through the much-needed tips to control car sickness and child nausea while on your fun family road trip.
What Is Car Sickness?
Car sickness refers to a breed of motion sickness. It occurs when the brain receives conflicting information from your inner eyes, ears, and nerves in your joints and muscles.
As bad as it can be for adults, it's even worse for children. Child nausea happens when a child is sitting low in the car's back seat and unable to see out of their window. It can also happen to an older child reading a book in the car.
In this case, the child's inner ear will sense motion, but their eyes and body won't. The result? An upset stomach, cold sweats, fatigue, loss of appetite or vomiting, and puke all over the back seat of dad's new car.
What to Do If Your Child Feels Sick in the Car
You could take all the preventive steps in the world, but child nausea could still hit. That's why it's best always to take steps to make the best out of a bad situation.
If child nausea is a regular occurrence in your household, keep the below tips to control child nausea in mind:
- Ensure you have a bucket or durable, easy-to-open bag for throwing up in.
- Grab disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer on your trip (this can be a life saver).
If sickness strikes, stop the car as soon as you can in a safe area. Get out, grab your child, and have a walk around. If they're unable to walk right away, lay them down on their back, put their knees up, and allow them to relax with their eyes shut. If lying in the car, ensure fresh air seeps through.
If you happen to stop near a store, grab some ginger ale or a drink that will help settle the stomach. All you have to do at this point, is take their mind off being sick while somebody else cleans the car and removes any lingering smells.
How to Prevent Nausea In Children on Family Road Trips
Look Up, and Look Out the Window
To prevent child nausea, ensure you sit your child in the middle seat in order to give them a clear view out of the front windshield. Games, iPads, and books are a great way of keeping your child busy during long drives; however, they can also play a role in car sickness.
If your child feels sick, initiate fun games that will allow them to look out of the car window instead of activities that may require them to look down.
Travel When They're Asleep
If your road trip revolves around getting to a final destination rather than sightseeing along the way, drive through the night. You can even start it very early in the morning or at their usual nap times so they stay asleep for a generous part of the trip.
Eat Bland Foods
If food is essential before you get going, then easy-to-digest foods should be your go-to. This is a great tool for anti-nausea for kids, as bland foods will not upset their stomach. Aim to grab items like dry cereal and plain snack bars to ensure a safe choice.
As fun as they are, try to stay away from sugary snacks and drinks, as they will probably just upset their stomach.
Seek Fresh Air
Fresh air is an excellent technique in anti-nausea for kids. It's the perfect weapon for battling car sickness when your child starts to feel under the weather. Crack open a window, the sunroof, or anything that will get enough air into the car to help settle their stomach.
Explore Multi-Symptom Relief - Anti Nausea for Kids
Our P6 Nausea Relief Bracelets are explicitly made for situations like this-road trips, plane rides, train rides, and more. It provides relief from all types of nausea, travel sickness, car sickness, seasickness, vertigo due to gaming and virtual reality games, morning sickness due to pregnancy, and even nausea related to cancer treatments. And, they are both effective and safe.
The P6 Band is a knitted elasticated wrist band, which operates by applying pressure on the Nei Kuan (the P6) acupressure point on each wrist through a plastic stud. As the bands don't use drugs, they do not cause any side effects associated with anti-nausea medicine, and can be worn on the wrist whenever required.
Hear how the P6 Bands have helped families get through road trips without getting car sick:
"My 6 year old always gets car sick. For long trips we give her medicine but I didn't want to have to give her medicine for shorter trips. I remember using similar bands when I was younger so I decided to see what I could find for her. I got her the pink 2 pack so she could keep one in each car. It comes with a great little case to keep them together and clean. They have worked so well and are definitely worth trying." -Kerri C.
''My poor kid suffers from car sick everywhere we go. I bought this for her and I'm so glad she didn't get not motion sickness in the car. She was able to see the scenery from the ocean and was not sick. We took a trip to the beach and she was enjoying it. I recommend this to any kiddo that gets car sick.'' -L
''These bands were perfect for my son they fit him really well and were comfortable to wear even on a 12-hour car ride!'' -Amazon Customer
''These work great. We used them for our daughter who got sick to her stomach every time she rode a distance in the car. She likes having the bracelets on (especially the pink ones!) - and they work very well.'' -Mel Walker
Follow all the tips to control child nausea above, grab your P6 Bands, and, hopefully, you'll have a fun and carsick-free trip that you all will never forget. Happy travels!