On top of this, there's an extra stress if you are travelling long distances by car or if your children (or even you) suffer from car sickness.
I wasn't too bad as a child but my sister would be looking green before we'd travelled more than a couple of miles! Cue much packing of potties and urgent pit stops in lay-bys.
My dad gave me some sensible advice about carrying a large plastic box in the boot with a change of clothes per child, including towels, wet wipes and also a big bottle of soapy water for quick clean ups. He also advised carrying travel potties or old ice cream cartons.
My parents used to give my sister Sarah and I travel sickness pills and packets of Wrigleys Double Mint chewing gum to give us something to focus on. And we quickly learned that reading whilst the car was moving was a no-no!.
I asked some of my fellow parenting bloggers how they cope with the nightmare of travel sickness and they had much wisdom to share.
Here are a few of their suggestions which also include advice for travelling on ferries and planes.
Shannon says "maybe not for a child for fear of them choking. How about lollipops? Or even a chewy toffee or sweet?". [sarbthoughts.blogspot.com]
Mary says "My nephew used to be really travel sick even on short journeys but it all stopped when he used child travel bands. He's just left Uni so I don't think it's an issue any more, but they certainly saved us all having empty ice cream tubs in our card when we'd take him out! With ferries - don't sit at the front of the boat or look at the horizon." [Over 40 And A Mum To One]
Claire says "I always had a pack of wipes, plastic bags and spare clothes. Keep a window open to let air in. Don't let them drink milk, and strong juice before the drive or during. Keep snacks light." [familypanelreviews.co.uk]
Helen says "I had really bad travel sickness as a child and the only thing that worked was a bobble on my wrist. The ones with the metal bit pressed on the inside of my wrist. Not sure how safe it is but it 100% worked" [http://hrbx.co.uk/]
Lisa of Travellovingfamily.com has a great post about coping with travel sickness on aeroplanes.
Tips from a Flight Attendant - Preventing Travel Sickness
Mellissa says "When all else fails Kwells is great and suitable for those over 10. You can take one as soon as you feel ill although it is better to take one 20 minutes before the journey." [Flydryexplore.com]
Rebecca says "Avoid dairy products before you travel if you suffer with travel sickness, they seem to make it worse! Two of my children suffer badly but not so bad if they've not had dairy products." [www.mumof3boys.co.uk]
Sophie says "For ferries I discovered that laying in a chair like you're in a rubber ring (if that makes sense) helps because the sensation is more like bobbing along on a lazy river" [onetenzeroseven]
Coral says "I was only car sick in smooth cars never in land rovers or lorries. Was told sitting on a news paper prevented it. Mind over matter I guess. Doesn't help in a cyclone in Fiji though. Avoid reading and devices. Look at the horizon. I talked a person out of sea sickness on a ferry. NLP and hypnosis can work." [Travellingcoral.com]
Michelle says "My parents used to give me child travel sickness tablets & anti sickness wristbands." [Looking For The Silver Lining]
Katy says "Distraction can be a fantastic way to ease the anxiety of a child who gets sick on long journeys. Often the anxiety can be what makes the child feel unwell. Packing toys, games or even a tablet can be a great way to distract a child!" [www.katykicker.com]
Rebecca Ali says "My mum used to keep a cool bag with ice cold water or go to the on-boat bar and get some ice which used to help loads (especially on boats and planes). Cars I was okay with but my granny always uses limacol in the car - it's a super strong lemon-lime scented thing thay she'd rub on a cloth and breathe and apparently that helped her from her youth to now." [Pocahontas Jane]
So there you have it - quite a few votes for wristbands which I'm off to try. Otherwise I'll be relying on travel sickness tablets for children and a big bucket safely stowed in the boot!
Do you have any tips to add? Please share them in the comments below.
