Nothing puts a damper on a family vacation quite like a child suffering from motion sickness.
It makes your little one miserable and it breaks your own heart to see them so unhappy.
The good news? Motion sickness is totally treatable!
You’ve just got to find the right mix of remedies that works best for your individual child.
We researched what both experts and seasoned moms recommend and put together a list of the 15 best motion sickness remedies for kids.
Somewhere on this list is just the thing to ease your child’s nausea and improve your family travel experience as a result!
Motion Sickness Remedies
Motion sickness remedies tend to fall into one of three categories; environmental, medicinal, or natural.
For most children, a combination of treatments works best to alleviate nausea and prevent vomiting.
That’s where you get to be a little bit like Sherlock Holmes and test different theories and combinations until you’re able to deduce what works best for your child.
It’s helpful to understand What Causes Motion Sickness In Children before you start trying to treat it.
Once you know triggers and symptoms for your child, here’s some motion sickness remedies that can help.
Environmental Remedies:
Sometimes just changing where your child sits, how they focus their eyes, or how you drive, can reduce the impact of motion sickness.
1. Don’t Ride On An Empty Stomach:
You might be tempted to have your sickness-prone child travel on an empty stomach, but don’t.
Not eating makes a child’s tummy more susceptible to rocking motion, which can lead to nausea.
Have them eat something bland and easy to digest before you head out. Avoid any food that is spicy, greasy, or has a strong odor.
Peanut butter toast, a plain chicken sandwich, crackers and cheese, etc. are safe bets.
2. Drive Smoothly:
How you drive goes a long way towards your child’s comfort.
Making a lot of turns, changing lanes frequently, tailgating, etc. are only going to make your kid feel more horrible.
If you’ve got a queasy child, go easy. Drive slow and steady.
3. Time Your Trip For Naps:
If you can swing it, try and time a road trip around nap time.
If a child falls asleep they tend not to get sick, plus they’ll wake up refreshed and well-rested once you arrive.
4. Proper Positioning:
One of the most popular motion sickness remedies is to place your child’s car seat in the middle of the backseat, so they can see out the front window.
This affords your child a clear view of the horizon, which helps prevent the disconnect between the inner ear and eyes that causes motion sickness.
If your child does start to feel nauseous, have them lean their head back against the seat rest rather than letting it move around.
Also tell them to close their eyes, which helps stop the spinning.
Related: Car Hacks! Family Road Trip Essentials
5. Avoid Screens And Books:
Experts say digital devices and books are a big no-no in the car for kids prone to motion sickness.
The images and words create visual stimulation that can confuse a child’s perception of motion and bring on symptoms.
Try a rousing game of car-karaoke or twenty questions instead!
Anything that doesn’t involve having your child’s eyes focus on something right in front of them.
6. Plan Rest Stops:
On long drives be sure to plan rest stops where the kids can take a short walk.
This will help them get their bearings and settle their little tummies.
7. Get Some Air:
Blowing a little cool air into your child’s face can help calm nausea.
You can roll down the window, turn an AC vent their way, or pack a handheld mini battery-powered fan which is perfect for carsick kids!
8. Cold Compress:
Keeping your child’s body temperature down helps prevent vomiting.
You might want to pack a cool, wet washcloth or frozen gel ice cold compress you can place on your child’s neck or forehead if they start to feel sick.
Medicinal Remedies:
There are some over-the-counter and prescription medicines available that can be used to treat motion sickness in children older than two.
If you want to try the medication route, be sure to talk to your doctor and read the package label about proper dosing BEFORE administering any meds.
Many parents unknowingly deliver the wrong dose of medicine for their child’s age and weight.
Also In Beenke: What Causes Motion Sickness In Children? Including what to pack in a motion sickness emergency kit!
The most common side effect of anti-nausea medication is drowsiness, which may not be a bad thing since a sleeping child rarely gets sick.
Just know that if it’s a short trip, your child may still be a little groggy when you arrive. Something to consider when deciding to use medication or not.
If you plan to use Dramamine or Benadryl, have your child take the recommended dose an hour before you leave and then about every 6 hours while traveling.
9. Dramamine:
Dramamine Sickness Relief For Kids, also known as Dimenhydrinate, is available for children over age 2 and helps prevent nausea.
10. Children’s Benadryl:
Children’s Benadryl, also known as Diphenhydramine, can be effect in treating motion sickness for some children.
11. Zofran:
Zofran is a prescription medication for severe nausea.
If your child suffers from frequent motion sickness that often results in vomiting, you might want to talk to your doctor about whether Zofran can help.
Natural Remedies:
Sometimes the natural route is the best way to go. Try these proven home remedies and see which ones work for your child.
12. Acupressure:
Sea-Band Wristbands are an inexpensive and low-risk treatment that helps relieve nausea for some children. It’s definitely worth a try.
You can also try applying light, but firm pressure to the inside of your child’s wrist.
13. Peppermint and Ginger:
Many people swear by these two flavors/scents when it comes to motion sickness relief.
You can try candies flavored with these ingredients, which are specifically designed to ease an upset stomach; like Queasy Drops or Queasy Pops.
Ingesting Crystallized Ginger helps ease tummy troubles as well.
14. Aromatherapy:
You can also try using essential oils in these two scents to ease nausea.
Place a drop or two of Ginger Essential Oil or Peppermint Essential Oil on a tissue and have your child inhale the scent.
15. Essential Oil Blends:
There are some special blends of essential oils, specifically designed as motion sickness remedies, you might want to try. Some moms we know SWEAR by these.
Rocky Mountain Oils – Tummy Rub, is a mix of peppermint, juniper Berry, anise, fennel, ginger root and tarragon in a base of wild fractionated coconut oil.
Nausea Relief Oil Synergy Blend is a mix of ginger, lavender, peppermint, and spearmint.
So what are you waiting for? Try some or all of these motion sickness remedies to soothe upset little tummies and make family travel better for everyone!
P.S. These same motion sickness remedies work on adults too. If you’re like me, and still have the occasional bout of car sickness, try these strategies to find some relief yourself.
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