Kids and seasickness

[Honeychild]

My DH and I have cruise several times, so we know what to expect and what works for us. We are going to take our 2 year old granddaughter on her first cruise soon. I was wondering if anyone knows if children that young get seasick and what to do to help them. She doesn't seems to get car sick and does well traveling with us.

 

Thanks in advance for any advise.

[crusinmama06]

I always offer the same advice about kids and seasickness...it *can* happen. But it seems to be rare for kids to get sea sickness in comparison to adults. And I guess it makes sense...think of all of the merry go rounds they can go on and never get sick....meanwhile now as adults, we turn green. Or how they can spin for hours just to get dizzy but we could never do that. ;)

 

We cruise with our kids and with our friend's kids...out of all of us I can only remember one time that one of the kids said that her "belly felt funny".

 

She is only 2 so I am trying to remember off the top of my head if she is still too young for CHILDREN'S Bonine. It's hard to find. But you can get it. Bonine works differently from dramamine because you don't have to take it in advance of getting sick (unlike dramamine). With bonine you can give it to her after she starts to get sick and it will work.

 

And then you won't have to pretreat her with a medicine that will make her sleepy/cranky (like dramamine)

[abitaturbodog]

Ditto on the Bonine, chewable. Your child probably won't get sea sick, but just in case... I've given it to my sons since they were 6 on ocean fishing trips.

[MommaOML]

Our doc recommended Gravol suppositories. We didn't need them last time (DS was 6 months), but we will bring them again this time, just in case.

[m1ckey]

thanks!!

I was wondering the same thing!!

[megnsamsgracie]

My kids pediatrician recommeneded benedryl. I found childrens bonine and brought both. We had 48 straight hrs of cruising and my kids didnt adjust well the first night (10, 9, 6 and 4) and some took benedryl and some bonine.. they both worked! Once they got their sea legs they were fine the rest of the trip! Also, I think it was because we were going pretty fast (others said so too) and it was so much time cruising first!

[Honeychild]

Thanks for your advise. I normally do get sick and take bonine before I board the ship. I guess I will start looking for children's bonine to take with us. Hope it doesn't make her sleepy. I doesn't affect me that way, but my DH took some on the last cruise and slept 2 days.

[crusinmama06]

Thanks for your advise. I normally do get sick and take bonine before I board the ship. I guess I will start looking for children's bonine to take with us. Hope it doesn't make her sleepy. I doesn't affect me that way, but my DH took some on the last cruise and slept 2 days.

 

I just checked the children's bonine package and it's "not for children under 6" :(

 

http://www.drugstore.com/qxp154238_333181_sespider/bonine/for_children_motion_sickness_tablets_berry_berry.htm

 

 

Children's Benedryl might be your best option.

[mousecrazy]

I've used the SEA BAND motion sickness wrist band with good success. Package says works for ages 2 and up.

 

I've also hear ginger is good...but have not tried it.

[Karysa]

We had rough seas for pretty much a whole day last cruise and the captain talked to us and really tried to avoid it but he just could not get out of it until supper time. One of our daughters who had been on ginger pills for a week already felt pretty bad. We did everything we could think. Brought her mid-ship as low as we could, had her look to the horizon, gave her gingerale and green apples and small amounts of food but nothing seemed to work until we gave her the antiemetic from the pursers office and just let her sleep for 4 hours or so. Once she got up, around supper time the seas were calm just like the captain had told us in the morning and DD danced up a storm until midnight.

She was almost 12 so I am not sure what medication is ok for a 2 year old, it seems that even cough medicine is getting pulled off the shelves around here.

Karysa

[sunrise&set]

My DS is one (today!) and he has gone out on my Dad's boat and doesn't get sea sick. I was worried about our upcoming cruise so I bought these motion sickness relief bands. Not sure if they'll work but the reviews looked good. I also bought the 'ear planes' on the same website for our 3+ hr flights.

 

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=435760&cmSource=Search

[Honeychild]

Thanks everyone,

 

I am already a fan of "One Step Ahead" Will look into the seabands.

 

I take gingersnap cookie on every cruise for me to eat when I first get up. Something to nibble on while I am getting ready to go to breakfast. That along with Bonine one a day as helped me.

 

My GD has never had benadryl. She will turned 2 about 2 months before the cruise. That may be something we take with us and she how she does on the cruise.

 

We may also see about getting the suppositories.

 

I just hope that she is affected by motion sickness like I am. I got car sick when I was young and she doesn't. My DD (her mom) got car sick. My sons never got car sick. My GD loves going round in circles until she falls down. She hangs upside down and tries to stand on her head.

 

But she has ear problems that may change all that. She had constant ear infection during her first year. She got tubes put in at 1 year old and still has infections from time to time. On medication at this time.