Kids and motion sickness?

[abbarber]

I went on a cruise as a younger adult several years ago and felt very sea sick the first night. Now we are headed on a cruise with our two kids. I will come prepared with a couple OTC medicines for my husband and me, but what about the kids (2 and 6)? Do they get sea sick? If they do start feeling it, what do you give them? Is there anything kid friendly? I hope I am getting worried over nothing but would like a plan in place in case it happens! Thank you!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I went on a cruise as a younger adult several years ago and felt very sea sick the first night. Now we are headed on a cruise with our two kids. I will come prepared with a couple OTC medicines for my husband and me, but what about the kids (2 and 6)? Do they get sea sick? If they do start feeling it, what do you give them? Is there anything kid friendly? I hope I am getting worried over nothing but would like a plan in place in case it happens! Thank you!

You really need to talk to your kid's pediatrician about medications for motion sickness. Do your kids get any motion sickness when traveling by car/bus for long trips? That might be an indicator whether you need to worry about it.

 

[JMHDisney]

Before our first cruise, I got my son the kids wrist bands, some lollipops that were for motion sickness, some herbal remedy that was supposed to go behind the ear, and some kids bonine. I was a little worried.

He tolerated the wrist bands for a day or two and then told me he has better sea legs than me and has never used anything since.

 

[Skiton]

They sell children's Dramamine at the drug store. We use that and also Sea Bands for my older son, who got sick twice this last cruise. (Once on a ferry heading to an excursion, once on the Fantasy in the morning.) It was the first time we've needed to do anything for one of our kids, but it's definitely good to come prepared. I agree that you should talk to your pediatrician, particularly about the two year old.

 

[AndreAggie]

Our son was 3 on our last cruise and we had children's Dramamine for him. He never needed it, but I brought some along just in case.

 

[jennypenny]

Our pediatrician recommended benadryl over dramamine. He said they are similar and since my kids had already taken benadryl on a couple of occasions, I knew they would handle it ok. He suggested giving them a benadryl at bedtime every night, starting a couple of days before the cruise and continuing throughout the cruise.

 

[KingRichard]

http://motioneaze.com/

Been using it for 5 years on DD!

A drop or 2 under the ear is all it takes.

 

[Janna_h42]

We went on a cruise in September, and my kiddo who hates rides and can't read in the car was my one to get seasick. I had the bands on her, but they didn't work. We had children's dramamine in our cabin (we were at breakfast when she got sick), and it worked very well for her. It didn't make her drowsy at all, and she was great as long as we gave it to her like clockwork (though if we were off the ship at her dosage time we waited until about 20 minutes prior to sailing before giving her the dose).

 

[pavel_one]

Dramamine = Dimenhydrinate
Benadryl = Diphenhydramine

Dimenhydrinate(Dramamine) is basically diphenhydramine(Benadryl) with an extra, throw-away bit in there that your body doesn't use, leaving only the active goodness that makes up Benadryl.
A dose of 25mg Dramamine IS about 12.5mg Benadryl. It's science, Riches.
Some recommend swallowing a pill 45 minutes prior to activity and then every 4 hours. Bob's your uncle.
Watch your dosing. Some recommend no more than 6mg of Benadryl for children under 12.

Watch your dosing and adverse reactions to find what's best for you and your family. Be extra diligent when using remedies with "all natural" ingredients, for their effectiveness may be limited. Homeopathic remedies WILL NOT WORK A SINGLE TINY SCRATCH, scientifically speaking.

Ingesting reasonable amounts of ginger is shown to have a positive effect in many people.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Do check with your doctor. On our way to Nassau this trip-quite rough. Many people not well at dinner, in common areas after. My 16 year old had a tough time. Sea bands were no help this time. Will check with the doctor before our next cruise for his recommendation.

 

[darnheather]

I would never give a two year old anything without speaking to the pediatrician.

 

[OzDisMum]

I've never been on a cruise before (definitely hope to one day soon though), but I do have a 6 year old DD that is prone to car sickness so I would definitely want to be prepared. However, I agree with the previous posters and would also suggest speaking to your pediatrician first for advice, particularly concerning your 2 year old. Have fun on your cruise!

 

[TrySomethingNew]

Your pediatrician or pharmacist can discuss the various OTC options. Young kids don't seem to be as affected as older kids and adults, so this may be a non-issue for the younger one at this time. I have never encountered a motion sick 2yo, but have encountered a few motion sick 5/6 yo (on small boats and passenger airlines). Good luck!

 

[party-of-five]

You can order green apples, saltines and ginger ale from room service. This helped my kiddos settle their stomachs the first night. My oldest son swears the SeaBands and staying away from windows helped him. My daughter, on the other hand, didn't like the SeaBands and spent as much time on the verandah as possible. It also helped when I assured them that the movement we were feeling was normal and gave them a sense of direction. My daughter was trying so hard to convince herself otherwise. My youngest two were completely unaffected. My point, each child is different. Have some things on hand, but don't stress it.