Flying with child

[daystar]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone has ever gotten motion sickness from flying???My son who is twelve gets car sick and he has never flown before just wondering if i should give him something before the flight.....
Thanks

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

We are all pretty bright here, but, we are not doctors. IMHO, it would be best if you spoke to your physician about this. I sure would not want to suggest something and have it backfire.

 

[NotUrsula]

Gail's right; ask your ped. about medicines, or maybe SeaBands. For practicalities, I can suggest a few things, though. (DS had reflux, and only recently outgrew it. I'm an old hand at dealing with airsickness.)

Be sure that you have a full change of clothing, including two shirts that will fit your child, and one shirt that will fit you (or whoever is sitting next to him.) Bring a wet washcloth in a ziploc, a bit of liquid detergent in a small bottle, and also extra large ziplocs that you can put soiled clothing in if necessary. Also bring some *diluted* mouthwash in another small bottle, plus his toothbrush, so that he can clean up properly if he does get sick; full-strength mouthwash can be too much for you if you've just been sick. Be sure to carry a good-sized sports bottle of water onto the aircraft for him; you don't want to be dependent on the FA bringing water if he needs to take medication quickly or rinse out his mouth. (The running water on a plane is not potable, you need bottled.)

Obviously, be sure that his seat has bags in the pocket, sometimes there are none there. If they are missing, ask the FA to give you some replacements just in case. FYI, at 12 this isn't likely to be an issue, but for those with small kids with this problem ... carry a little beach pail onboard. Little kids usually can't handle getting sick neatly into a paper bag.

The most likely time for airsickness to strike, BTW, is just after landing, as the plane taxis to the gate. Don't decide that being back on the ground means that the danger has passed; keep your eye on him until he is actually walking off the plane.

 

[daystar]

Hi again,
Thank you for all your advice and i will be sure to be prepared if something was to happen.....I will check with his doctor before we leave.........
Thanks so much

 

[seashoreCM]

A child who seems to get car sick a lot probably should not go on aggressive rides without the same medication or whatever the doctor recommends.

The child (or you) should rinse out his (your) mouth promptly after vomiting to prevent tooth decay. This will mean the flight attendant will have to retrieve the bag with the waste water to prevent having it spill in the plane.

You should sit in the middle seat so the child is not next to a stranger.

A heads up for other passengers asked to switch seats so a family can sit together. You don't want the chance a child might get plane sick next to you. Not to say grown ups never get sick, but grown ups usually control themselves better in this regard.

Health tips:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/health.htm

 

[dcfromva]

daystar,
You've received lots of good tips already, but I just wanted to add another tip that may help prevent the onset: Those air vents overhead--turn that on and keep the airflow going. Cool air blowing overhead sometimes helps the situation (as opposed to hot and stuffy)...

Good luck on your trip
-DC