Travelling with a child who gets carsick can get any vacation off to a bad start.

“Motion sickness is very common,” says Dr. Jeremy Friedman, the director of inpatient pediatric medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Here, Friedman offers a few tips for parents of children who are prone to car sickness.

• Sufferers should avoid reading or watching videos in the car. Your child
should focus on a stable horizon or an external object.

• Roll down the windows to get fresh air in the car.

• Avoid a heavy meal just before travelling and steer clear of dairy products and foods high in sodium, protein or calories. Although there is no scientific proof that this works, some people like to have apricot or carrot juice on hand.

• Limit your child's head movement with pillows or a headrest.

• If you know that your child is likely to get sick and she's at least two years old, give her antinausea medication, such as Gravol, an hour before the ride.