2 Year Old Gets Car Sick! Need Help to Find Ways to Help Her Feel Better!!!!!

Updated on January 08, 2009
T.H. asks from Burleson, TX
10 answers

I hope I do not ramble on and on here, but I am really frustrated and really need help finding answers! I hope someone knows what I can do to help my little girl!
My little girl who is about to be 3 gets car sick in my van when we go on long car trips. Generally this happens when it is dark outside when we are travelling, but she has also gotten sick during the day. I have a long wheel based minivan and feel that she is getting sick because of how the van drives. I get quezy in the back as well. I am wondering if there is anything that I can do to help her feel better when we travel. I have tried giving her things to snack on while we drive, apple juice or sprite to drink, I keep the van cool so that she does not get hot,and I have even given her benadryl (I heard that helps with nausea). She had lots of ear infections when she was little and had tubes put in when she was 15 months old. The tubes have since fallen out and the ear infections have begun again. I do not know if the ear infections have anything to do with her getting sick.... I am hoping that it is my van, I can get a car that rides smoother and is not as 'loose' in the turns and bumps, and that she will feel better!
Please! Any advice would be very welcome and helpful!!

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S.W.

answers from Dallas on

Some people use a DVD player to distract their child, but sometimes that has an opposite effect (it has something to do with the motion outside the car through the peripheral vision while watching a movie). If you use a DVD player already, try not using it next time and see if she gets sick. If you don't use a DVD player, give it a try and see if it helps. Also, where is her carseat located? If it's in the middle, try moving it to one side of the car so she can see out the window better. If it's on a side, try moving it to the middle and see if that helps. (sometimes just being able to watch the road or passing objects can help).

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J.S.

answers from Dallas on

I have really bad car sickness, and my son has it, too. I talked to my doc about giving my 4 year old Dramamine, but she said it's not good for kids under 12.

I try to bring something to drink for him in the car, make sure he has a snack, and never let him get too hot. The heat in the car (whether it's winter or summer) is what really makes him sick. We keep the car pretty chilly when we drive. If that doesn't help, then we roll the windows down for fresh air which helps.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.H.

answers from Lubbock on

My 2year old also gets car sick on long trips. We have to give her dramamine for children it is chew able and we get it at our cvs or walgreens. Also we have found that if she watches a movie on a portable dvd player she does not get sick as often. The dramamine does not effect her other than it lets her relax and nap some of the time in the car. No other noticable side effects I hope this helps

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H.B.

answers from Dallas on

My 16 month old is the same way. We had to pull over onto the side of the road and clean her and the car seat up on our way to Lubbock over the holidays. Yuck! On our way back, I made sure she ate at least 30 minutes before we left and only gave her a few sips of milk. I don't let her eat in the car anymore as this seems to make it worse. The dvd player sounds like a good idea; I might have to try that as well.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.

answers from Dallas on

Girl, if it werent for the chewable dramamine, we would never survive trips!! It is sort of hard to find, so stock up when you do. It has to say chewable, they are orange tablets, and they can be cut up to make sure the dose is good. My 2.5 year old has had between 1/4th a tablet and 1/3. It makes them a bit drowsy, but that works well on car rides too. Mine will watch a movie on the dvd player, so I am not sure if that indeed does help. I get very car sick, and could not imagine doing that! I wonder too, if it may be how she sits in her car seat...could a seat that lays back more help?? Just a thought...I KNOW your frustration, and really, our saving grace is the dramamine! ~A.~

1 mom found this helpful
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T.W.

answers from McAllen on

Try dramamine or Meclizine. I get it too and I'm 27!

1 mom found this helpful
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J.R.

answers from Dallas on

I feel your pain. My oldest battles with the same thing and last month when she was sick(tonsilitis and stomach bug) it seemed as though everytime we got in the van she would complain that she was feeling sick. I too have been wondering if it is riding in the van because I remember as a child that I only had the problem in certain vehicles. The only thing that noone has mentioned that helps my daughter is to keep peppermints(gum, candies, candy canes etc) in the car and let her suck on them if she starts feeling bad. I know they are not the best for their teeth but I usually try to get the sugarfree gum. I have every kind of motion sickness (car, boat, plane etc) and the peppermints always settle my stomach too, as a matter of fact when I had horrible morning sickness with all 4 of mine one of the few things that helped was sipping a peppermint tea.

1 mom found this helpful
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T.M.

answers from Dallas on

Hi T.,

We just got back from a long trip. 12 hours in a car with children is rough. My 16 yr old get car sick. I found that kids like to watch out the windows and watch the side of the street go fast. That being said, It may help if you get her a dvd player or something else to put her focus on that to help, looking at the street pass on the side of the car looks faster than looking out in front of you when you drive. I found this out cause when we were on our way back my son pointed out the deer on the side of the street and we watch for them for almost an hour and I got car sick. When we were going down the road I had to quit watching and found that if i watced otu in front and not paid attention to the side of the street it got better. But I also give her a motion sickness pill to help.

T.

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K.M.

answers from Dallas on

Oh, I'm so sorry for your daughter. As someone who easily gets motion sick (car, plane, boat, whatever) I thank you for trying to help her. It is so miserable and I remember it well as a child, because I always had to sit in back.

I was also going to suggest dramamine. Ginger is also a natural remedy for nausea - maybe little ginger snaps for her to snack on? Definitely keep the car cool - but I generally also open the window where I'm sitting. The ear infections might be affecting her because when her inner ears are blocked it affects a body's sense of balance; add that to bouncing around in the the back of a car and it could definitely make someone nauseated.

Perhaps the Dramamine and maybe the ginger snaps will help. One last thing - there are little wristbands you can buy that add some pressure to the inside of the wrist. I've bought them for myself but don't know if they exist for children. Many people who go on cruises swear by them as a relief for motion sickness. You can buy them at Target, CVS, Walgreens, etc.

1 mom found this helpful
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K.D.

answers from Dallas on

I would try putting her in the middle so she can look foward and not look out the window to the sides. Also ginger snaps or pretzels may help!

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