There’s a lot to love about traveling with kids. From lasting family memories to endless learning opportunities, going on trips with your children fills your life with unforgettable joy. But those wonderful moments can sometimes be overshadowed by challenges. Logistics, high costs, safety concerns, inevitable meltdowns, and car sickness all have the potential to sour the trip.
While there are solutions for each of these hurdles (so book that trip!), today we’re focusing on one in particular: car sickness. In this post, we’ll share the signs to watch for and the best strategies to prevent it. These tips will help keep your vacation smooth, happy, and free from queasy tummies.
Car Sickness in Kids: Signs, Remedies, and Travel Strategies
Many children struggle with car sickness or, better named, motion sickness. It’s not rare at all! And, it doesn’t just happen in vehicles. Kids can experience it on amusement park rides, airplanes, boats, park swings, and more. Anytime the body is moving but the person feels like they’re sitting still, motion sickness can strike.
If you’re not sure whether your child’s discomfort is due to symptoms of motion sickness, here’s what to look for:
What Does Car Sickness Feel Like in Kids?
- Nausea or vomiting
- Pale or flushed skin
- Sweating
- Dizziness or feeling “spinning”
- Tiredness or sleepiness
- Yawning or sighing a lot
- Crankiness or irritability
- Stomach ache or headache
- Fidgeting, looking out the window, or closing eyes
How Common Is Car Sickness in Kids?
Motion sickness is very common in young children. Research shows that up to 43% of school-aged kids experience car sickness. It’s most prevalent in children ages 7-12, a time of major growth and changes in their sensory and balance systems. So, even if your kids haven’t experienced car sickness before, it can still show up later in elementary school.
But there is good news here! Even if your kids do experience car sickness, there’s a chance it can decrease with age. This can be due to several things, like habituation or sensorimotor maturation. Of course, this isn’t the case with all children but there is hope nonetheless!
What Causes Car Sickness in Kids?
Motion sickness is very common in young children. This is because their inner ear balance system, eyesight, and sensory processing are still developing, which gives them increased sensitivity to visual-vestibular conflict. This is when the brain receives mixed signals, because what they see doesn’t match what they feel.
Basically, the eyes say, “You’re sitting still,” while the balance system says, “You’re moving.” This confusion can trigger nausea, vomiting, and the all-too-familiar feeling of motion sickness.
How to Help Car Sickness in Kids
Teach your child how to communicate with you.
Kids don’t always have the words or body awareness to express when they’re feeling sick. That’s why we as parents often don’t realize what’s happening until it’s too late!
So, talk with your children about the signs of motion sickness (like cold sweats, stomach cramps, dizziness, and nausea) and give them the vocabulary to describe how they feel. Maybe have a car sick code word, like “Feeling wiggly”, “Spinny head”, or “Tummy twist.” It makes symptoms easy for them to understand, and can help you catch symptoms early before they get worse.
Encourage your child to look straight ahead.
Remember, it’s the mixed signals between the eyes and the balance system that trigger nausea. One way to prevent motion sickness is to help align what the eyes see with what the body feels. Since the body senses movement, looking out the window at a distant point helps the eyes and balance system work together. As a result, this reduces confusing signals and can lower the risk of car sickness. For rear-facing kids, this would be the back window.
Change the car seat recline or placement.
Safety is always the top priority, so we never recommend moving a child to a forward-facing seat early just to prevent motion sickness. That said, there are things you can adjust to ease discomfort in the car seat:
- Middle seat placement: Try placing your child in the middle seat so they can look out the back window. This makes it easier for the child sitting to ignore side windows, helping reduce the visual-vestibular conflict that triggers motion sickness. Additionally, the middle seat is technically the safest spot for your car seat, anyway!
- Adjust the recline: Within the manufacturer’s guidelines, changing the seat’s recline can help. Sometimes sitting too reclined increases motion sickness, so small adjustments can make a difference.
- Consider seat fit: If the car seat doesn’t fit your child comfortably, the discomfort can worsen motion sickness. Trying a different seat or adjusting the current one for a better fit may help. Use our Car Seat Finder Tool to find the best options.
Take trips during nap time.
Your child is less likely to get car sick while sleeping. With their eyes “off,” the brain receives fewer conflicting signals, reducing motion sickness. If possible, plan trips around nap time. Your child gets some much-needed rest, you enjoy some quiet time, and everyone avoids the mess and discomfort of car sickness.
Cool down the car and improve airflow.
Warm, stale air can make car sickness worse, so keeping the temperature cool can help ease discomfort. If your vehicle struggles to cool the back seat, tools like the Noggle can help by directing air from the front vents to your child.
Airflow also helps because fresh air naturally relieves queasiness. The sensation of air moving across their face can help the senses stay aligned, reducing motion sickness. Cracking a window or increasing the fan speed can make a big difference.
Avoid heavy meals before car rides.
Eating a heavy meal within an hour before traveling is a bad idea if you’re trying to avoid motion sickness. A full stomach puts extra stress on the digestive system, possibly amplifying nausea and vomiting when the body senses motion. To help prevent discomfort, stick to light, bland snacks like crackers, fruit, or toast before and during the trip. Save those big meals for after you’ve arrived.
Give them water to sip on.
Having your child take sips of water throughout a car ride can help ease motion sickness. Dehydration can actually make nausea worse, making it harder for the body to power through car sickness. With that said, staying hydrated helps the body regulate itself and can reduce feelings of nausea.
Make sure that your child only sips the water rather than drinking too much too quickly. Too much water at once can make the stomach full and inevitably worsen discomfort. Offering water regularly keeps your child comfortable and can make the ride a lot smoother.
Try to provide healthy distractions.
Providing healthy distractions, like letting your child listen to music or engage in another safe car activity, can help take their mind off motion sickness. Focusing on song, craft, toy, or game keeps their brain engaged and can reduce feelings of nausea. Simple, calming distractions make car rides more comfortable and enjoyable for everyone.
Use sea bands for your older kids.
Sea bands or acupressure bands are bracelets that apply gentle pressure to a specific point on the wrist to help reduce nausea. They’re most effective for older children who can keep them on comfortably and understand how to wear them correctly. Like motion sickness glasses, they vary in effectiveness from kid to kid.
See an eye and ear doctor.
If your child frequently experiences motion sickness, it may be worth scheduling a visit with an eye or ear specialist. Problems with vision or inner ear balance can contribute to motion sickness, and an expert can check for underlying issues. They can also offer targeted solutions you haven’t tried yet, or help manage any side effects. Catching these early can make a big difference in how comfortable your child is during travel.
Discuss issues with your pediatrician.
Always talk to your pediatrician if motion sickness is a recurring problem. They can help identify potential causes, suggest safe strategies, and, if needed, discuss motion sickness medicine like Gravol. Your pediatrician is a great resource for guidance tailored to your child’s age, health, and travel needs.
Prepare for the worst.
No matter what you do to prevent motion sickness, it can still happen. Be prepared by keeping a car sickness emergency bag packed and stored safely in your vehicle. Having the right supplies on hand makes handling car sickness much easier and can turn a stressful situation into a manageable one.
Here’s what to keep in your emergency kit:
- Wet-dry bags for soiled clothing
- An extra change of clothes
- Full-Coverage Bib
- Disposable Vomit Bags
- Hand sanitizer
- Water wipes
- Microfiber cloths
- Car interior cleaner (not for car seats)
- Bottled water for cleaning
Of course, it’s also important to know how to safely clean up the mess. Here’s our guide on how to clean vomit from car seats, upholstery, and surfaces.
Ease car sickness with these helpful tips.
Car sickness doesn’t have to ruin family trips. With the right preparation, strategies, and tools, you can help your child stay comfortable and enjoy the ride from start to finish. Being proactive and having a plan in place not only reduces nausea but also keeps the whole family calmer, happier, and ready to make lasting memories on the road.
For more car seat safety education and road trips tips, check out the Safe in the Seat blog. Here are some posts you might find helpful to read next:
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