Do tablets make your kid car sick?

[Anonymous]

My kid is not prone to carsickness, had no problem holding a kindle fire screen at age 2.5 last year for a 10 hour car ride (while rear facing). I think you would have some inkling if this particular child were carsick prone by now. I can't do tablets now (as an adult) but had no problem reading in the car as a child--motion sickness tends to get worse with age in my experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For my puke-prone kid, an audiobook is a nice distraction on a long ride.

+1 OP. Audiobook.

[Anonymous]

Yes, which is why we bought a minivan with a ceiling mounted screen and DVD player. It has been an absolute miracle worker! No carsickness at all - had it almost 6 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're about to go on a longer trip, and my youngest is finally at an age where he'd probably be happy with a tablet. But, my older son used to get car sick, and maybe still does under the right circumstances. I'm a little nervous about handing the tablets over if they're going to induce puking. The 5 year old might be able to tell me if he's not feeling well, but it's doubtful the 2 year old would.

Any advice on this front?

My advice would be...why tablets in the car if you have not been doing it? Now admittedly this is because I have a kiddo who is happy in the car, and because he is quite the puker, but I have never allowed screens in my car (not being preachy, we have heavy screen usage at home, which I am ashamed of). We take long car rides - 6-8 hours. Kid is now five and it is fine. Between talking, music, naps, and toys he does great. So if it is working out that your kiddo can do without a tablet, why introduce one? Personally I enjoy our road adventures!

So my 5 year old does great. My 2.5 year old does not. He whines and cries a lot and it stresses me out because I can't tell if he's feeling sick, bored, whatever. And if I ask him if his tummy hurts, he always says yes, but he always says his elbow or knee hurts too so it's sort of a pointless ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is not prone to carsickness, had no problem holding a kindle fire screen at age 2.5 last year for a 10 hour car ride (while rear facing). I think you would have some inkling if this particular child were carsick prone by now. I can't do tablets now (as an adult) but had no problem reading in the car as a child--motion sickness tends to get worse with age in my experience.

OP again, and one of my boys has puked a couple times in the car and definitely gets air sickness. I think we haven't had too many issues in the car because we already do all the right things like no dairy, wrist bands, ginger etc etc.

Also from what I understand, a lot of kids get motion sick but then grow out of it. Maybe it gets worse again as an adult? Not sure...

[Anonymous]

I was surprised that people suggested tablets for a road trip. My kid would get nauseous and super cranky with a tablet. Talking worked for us, playing I spy worked, but tablets did nothing except serve as trigger to a big puke mess and unhappy kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is not prone to carsickness, had no problem holding a kindle fire screen at age 2.5 last year for a 10 hour car ride (while rear facing). I think you would have some inkling if this particular child were carsick prone by now. I can't do tablets now (as an adult) but had no problem reading in the car as a child--motion sickness tends to get worse with age in my experience.

OP again, and one of my boys has puked a couple times in the car and definitely gets air sickness. I think we haven't had too many issues in the car because we already do all the right things like no dairy, wrist bands, ginger etc etc.

Also from what I understand, a lot of kids get motion sick but then grow out of it. Maybe it gets worse again as an adult? Not sure...

Huh. It sounds like your kid is feeling car sick. Is he forward facing yet? That will help a ton. It doesn’t sound like he’s going to do well with a tablet op.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is not prone to carsickness, had no problem holding a kindle fire screen at age 2.5 last year for a 10 hour car ride (while rear facing). I think you would have some inkling if this particular child were carsick prone by now. I can't do tablets now (as an adult) but had no problem reading in the car as a child--motion sickness tends to get worse with age in my experience.

OP again, and one of my boys has puked a couple times in the car and definitely gets air sickness. I think we haven't had too many issues in the car because we already do all the right things like no dairy, wrist bands, ginger etc etc.

Also from what I understand, a lot of kids get motion sick but then grow out of it. Maybe it gets worse again as an adult? Not sure...

Huh. It sounds like your kid is feeling car sick. Is he forward facing yet? That will help a ton. It doesn’t sound like he’s going to do well with a tablet op.

Yes he’s FF. It seems like fixed video is ok vs tablet in the lap. But I think this has convinced me to take a pass.

[Anonymous]

Just riding in the backseat makes me carsick.

[Anonymous]

I think it's hereditary. I have never gotten motion sick even on boats/cruises. My kids have never gotten carsick using tablets. If your older one did, there is a good chance your younger one will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's hereditary. I have never gotten motion sick even on boats/cruises. My kids have never gotten carsick using tablets. If your older one did, there is a good chance your younger one will.

+1

No one in my husband's family gets motion sick (they have bad vertigo though!). My mother is motion sick prone and two of my siblings inherited it (though not quite as badly), but none of us get vertigo. So far my kid seems to take after my husband's family thank goodness.

[Anonymous]

Yes, and reading, coloring. Pretty much anything you do that keep your eyes off the road. So, they usually watch movies on the mounted tablet, where they can easily see the road. We used to do ginger, peppermint, and pressure point writ bands. We did Dramamine for the last trip. It was bliss, until it wore off early.

[Anonymous]

It’s not so much about a tablet being fixed, it’s where it is mounted. If it is mounted to a headrest then their peripheral vision is registering the movement of the vehicle and that helps with carsickness. If they hold it in their lap then all they can see is the tablet, their legs and the floor, which feeds into motion sickness. Try preggie pops. They are lollipops designed to help with nausea and they worked for my kids. I have even used them myself when driving through the hills of WV where the road goes up and down and up and down.