Five Scary Words in a Car
By BETH J. HARPAZ, Associated Press Travel Editor Mon Mar 13, 1:30 PM ET
"Mommy, I don't feel good."
This announcement is inevitably followed, in less time than it takes to find a tissue, by a child tossing his cookies and everything else he's eaten in the past three weeks.
Our oldest child was 3 when this happened. We'd just strapped him into the car seat and were headed out of the city on a glorious day to go apple-picking when he uttered that fateful sentence.
Never having heard it before in the context of a car ride, I had no idea what was coming next. It wasn't long before I found out.
I reacted calmly, climbing in the back seat with him as my husband continued to drive, and cleaning it all up with the help of an entire box of baby wipes, all 120 sheets.
I was just about done when we hit a traffic jam and slowed to a series of bumper-to-bumper lurches.
Did I mention that they were nauseating lurches? I opened the window to get some fresh air, but all that blew in was the exhaust of a nearby truck.
And that was all it took. The cookies — plus breakfast and portions of the previous night's dinner — were tossed once again. Not only was I out of baby wipes, but this time his clothes were completely covered. We couldn't possibly spend the day like this.
Traffic was moving now, though, so we decided to make one stop en route, before leaving the city, to buy a cheap set of new clothes. I ran into a variety store, picked up a little shirt and pants for a couple bucks, along with a bottle of water and a washcloth.
Once again, I cleaned him up, stuffed the dirty clothes in a plastic bag in the trunk, and we were off.
As we neared the entrance to the highway, those five little words came out of his mouth again.
We gave up, turned around and headed home. Sometimes you have to know when to fold 'em.
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This week's advice: According to B.D. Schmitt, M.D., author of "Your Child's Health" (Bantam Books), motion sickness in children is easily prevented with over-the-counter Dramamine taken one hour before traveling. Children should look out the car window and avoid looking down at books or games, and it's OK to eat light meals before or during trips. The University of Michigan Health System Web site offers articles on this and other subjects related to pediatric health: http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/pa/pa_motionsi_hhg.htm.
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