Driving to Disney...Kids get car sick

[nrp1019]

We are driving from NJ to Disney and our kids get nauseous just driving to the local store. Lol. We are going to give them Childrens Dramamine. Has anyone ever used this?? We aren't driving straight through. We will be resting in Savannah GA.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Be sure to check dosage with their doctor. DS now 21 got very car sick any ride over 45 minutes. He did mostly outgrow it but it was many year later. A few things we learned:

Use the Dramamine.... sleep = not being sick

encourage them to sip on ginger-ale and nibble on ginger snaps.

Read aloud to them and encourage them to look toward the front of the car.

Test what playing on iphone or gameboys does. It really did not bother my DS but it does some kids.

Keep the car cool....dress them cool and take a lightweight blanket in case they get too cool.

Stop often if they are awake or feel sick at all. It's a pain but so worth it!

 

[DisneyRegulars]

You may also want to try Sea-Bands. They are typically marketed for cruisers, but work for all types of motion sickness. Also definitely keep the car cool. Even to the point of pre-cooling the car before you get in it. If possible, sit a child in the middle seat so they have a better view facing forward.

 

[englishteacha]

I still battle motion sickness. It was horrid when I was pregnant. I find that I can take ginger capsules or chew ginger gum and it keeps the nausea at bay. I also take Dramamine (the generic kind) when I'm traveling any big distance.

 

[Gorechick]

My DS8 gets carsick. We use Walmart's Equate Motion sickness tablets for him.

 

[JKSWonder]

We give both kids Children's dramamine before a long car ride.

They are fine on short rides, but the longer the ride the more likely one or the both of them will get sick.

We dose them both according to the instructions and so far, it seems to work for them. That being said, I also make sure to pack the car with the following, just in case:

-"sick" bags nearby for each of them should it be necessary
-paper towels
-wet wipes
-bottles of water (for drinking after being sick)
-towels for them to sit on if seats cannot be cleaned property due to being in an inconvenient place on the road
-a change of clothes for each kid (including shoes!)
-upholstery cleaner, especially if seats are fabric
-Febreeze

 

[LockShockBarrel]

If your kids get sick on short trips to the store like you said, I would think there's more going on. I know a lot of people with bad motion sickness and I used to have to worse when I was on a particular medication but I don't know anyone that gets sick that quickly in just a car ride. Maybe you should ask their pediatrician about it.

 

[delgrec]

I would be concerned with driving such a distance if your kids are prone to being car sick. I would feel so bad for them. The feeling one gets from motion sickness is really horrible. Also, even with lots of preventative measures, car rides after someone vomited is not fun! We just drove to North Carolina from NJ and my son got sick about 45 mins in. It was such a mess and we had the smell in the car for several days. Not fun. Anyway you can fly? i assume not if you are opting not to but it sounds like driving is going to be tough. Anyway, I hope it works out. Good luck!

 

[Nixie]

Our 5 year old gets car sick if he is in the car for an extended time. His breaking point is 5 hours; less if he had recently eaten. We found this out on our first trip down to Disney. Now we carry copious amounts of children's chewable Dramime with us. I carry a pack in my purse at all times and we have a pack in each car just incase. We have found it is hit or miss on whether Walgreens carries the childrens kind. We also have trash bags placed strategically throughout our vehicles. We always have baby wipes in the car. (I am gonna have to remember the febreeze suggestion . We usually give him a dose about 30 mins before we will be in the car for an extended time. 30 mins gives the med enough time for it to be working in his system before we get going.

My worry is if your child gets motion sick so quickly and easily in a car, how are they going to be able to ride anything at Disney?

 

[Nixie]

I would be concerned with driving such a distance if your kids are prone to being car sick. I would feel so bad for them. The feeling one gets from motion sickness is really horrible. Also, even with lots of preventative measures, car rides after someone vomited is not fun! We just drove to North Carolina from NJ and my son got sick about 45 mins in. It was such a mess and we had the smell in the car for several days. Not fun. Anyway you can fly? i assume not if you are opting not to but it sounds like driving is going to be tough. Anyway, I hope it works out. Good luck!

If they get sick in a car, they will def get sick in a plane. I personally would rather be driving, so I have the option of having everything at my disposal to be able to clean him up and such.

 

[wiigirl]

I get car sick a lot and use Cola Syrup....you can get it in the pharmacy. It works really well. Not as well as dramine....but it wont make you sleepy.

 

[delgrec]

If they get sick in a car, they will def get sick in a plane. I personally would rather be driving, so I have the option of having everything at my disposal to be able to clean him up and such.

I get car sick (never vomit but feel awful) and have never had any motion sickness in a plane. And I fly often. Also, we are talking a total of 2 1/2 hours in flight versus about 20 hours in the car. I would think sitting in the seat On the plane with a bag ready for only a couple of hours would be better. But that I just my opinion. To each his own !

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

I used to get car sick all the time as a kid....we would drive 30 minutes and I would be puking, especially on winding roads. The backseat was not my friend. I did better in the front seat. Tell them look straight ahead and out the front window...do not look out the side windows and do not read or look at anything in the car...just look straight out the window. A DVD might be ok....test that before you leave.

 

[GaBelle]

My DD also gets motion sickness. Her pediatrician gave her a prescription for Zofran. I am not one to give my kids medicine at the drop of a hat, but she can be miserable in a car. Zofran works almost immediately!
And oddly enough, she only gets motion sickness on Space mountain, so now she avoids it!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I am another who can fly with no problems but I get very car sick. no med helped me, did not out grow but I drive with no problems. sleeping in the car is the only way I can ride not drive for any distance in car. try the med at home to find out if it works

 

[texasroni75]

My kids and DH occasionally get carsick. I found that it's usually if they are trying to read or looking out the side windows too much. Sunshades on the rear side windows help. And like PP mentioned, sleeping on the ride is definitely the best preventative measure! I've never tried giving the kids Dramamine, but I do encourage sleeping by bringing along pillows and making sure they are as comfortable as possible for the ride. Oh, and we found that some strong car air-fresheners aggravate the motion sickness too (the fragrances of some of them makes their heads hurt). And we bring bags and supplies in case a clean-up is needed.

 

[pigletto]

One thing to note that is very important. Follow the directions on the motion sickness medication. If you give it to them as they begin to feel sick it is already TOO LATE. The medication is most effective if taken an hour or so before travel begins and they never have a chance to start to feel nauseous.
My husband gets very motion sick in any number of situations.. but he is fine if he takes something an hour before. If we wait until the first signs of nausea it won't matter if he takes it or not..the damage is done and he will end up throwing up. Treat the meds as a preventative rather than something that will make them feel better.

 

[aLLpInK]

My kids are the exact same way. We HAVE to do Dramamine. It works and you have to make sure you time the doses so it doesn't wear off. It seems like it can wear off all of a sudden. Which can be a good thing too when planning on vacation. Good luck and DONT FORGET THE DRAMAMINE. lol I did once. It wasn't good!

 

[SamSam]

When I was a child I suffered from motion sickness and since our family took montly car trips to visit relatives it was a pretty regular part of my life. This was before Dramamine, what helped me were lemon drops...yes, the old fashioned candy. For whatever reason I always got at least a little relief sucking on lemon drops. Nowadays, it might be something to try in addition to Dramamine.

 

[bjscheel]

My kids wouldn't take pills when younger so I found Motion-Eaze at Walmart. It is a natural oil that you put just behind their ears. It smells like pine and peppermint but I find that the odor dissipates pretty quickly. Seems like it has helped them.