If your child threw up on the carpet in the middle of the night...

[TheBrilloPad]

Do you;

a) throw a towel over the pile of sick and deal with it at a reasonable hour

Or

B) get cleaning equipment up and clean up sick there and then?

For honesty's sake - I did A. 4yr old DD threw up in her bed at 2am last night, got out of bed to get me and threw up on the carpet, and then threw up again on the hallway carpet. I changed her bedding and put her back to bed, and put towels over the two vomit piles in her bedroom and the hallway, to deal with in the morning. She shares a bedroom with her 3yr old brother who was asleep and cleaning it all up at 2am, therefore keeping them awake longer, seemed like an insane idea.

We all woke at 8am, I text ExH to keep him in the loop that DD was unwell and I took them downstairs. Gave 3yr old breakfast, and fed 4month old baby. Had to do three loads of washing (she was sick again on the new fresh bedding at 4am too), and then ExH turned up at 10am with a load of toys from the toy shop (Disney dad), as I was coming downstairs with the carpet cleaner and bucket of zoflora etc etc. I answered the door and said "sorry - was just cleaning all the sick off the carpets", and he said "oh, has she just been sick again then ?" And I said "no, from last night". And he was DISGUSTED that I left the vomit there overnight. (From a man who has never cleaned/cooked/used a washing machine in his life ).

So my instinct was that he's just being a dick. I'm a single parent of 3 kids under 5, none of who slept well last night, I dealt with it as best I could. But now I'm doubting myself - would you/should I have cleaned it up there and then? FWIW it took me over 30mins this morning to do, that seems insane to do at 2am!

I would have cleaned up up, even in a cursory way, there and then. It must have reeked!

Would you go back to sleep in a room with two piles of vomit on the floor?

Your ex's lack of cleaning skills is neither here nor there.

I’ve slept in a bed covered in vomit (with a towel over) before when a single mum to a 2 year old, working full time and out of bedding after the 3rd change. I just didn’t have it in me to do anything else. And I absolutely don’t blame you for not scrubbing carpet at 2am with 3 under 5.

Do it in the night.

I'd have cleaned it there and then rather than face the dried stinky version later on or worse, have to clean the floor and DS who would have investigated what's under the towel before I had a chance to clean it up this has happened. --

No judgement from me OP, you did your best with 3 kids under 5 on your own with little sleep and a twazzock of a Disney dad. Hope DD is better soon.

I would have done it then and have done because of the smell.

Personally I would have cleaned it up straight away as I have a phobia of vomit and I wouldn't have been able to settle knowing it was there for me to face the next morning.

I would of cleaned it out the best I could then in the morning done a proper thorough clean.

I would do it in the night sorry. The longer you leave it the more work it is, it gets soaked right in. Plus it hanging around longer gives more chance of other people breathing in the germs.

i do a half and half i spray it with vanish or a carpet cleaner then cover it up for later that way it can soak .I would always get up and change the bedsheets though

You’re a single parent of 3 under 5’s.

There’s no way you should have been worrying about cleaning up sick in the middle of the night. Fine to wait to the next day. People don’t know how exhausting it is to be a single parent when every decision and every action is entirely on you. You did the sensible thing and I’d have done it your way too.

Ignore your ex. If he’d been in the same situation, I have no doubt that he’d have been calling you (or his mum, or anyone) in the middle of the night to help him cope.

I'd have scraped up the worst of it, given it a brief wipe over, and then covered it with a towel to deal with properly the next morning.

But I wouldn't judge you for doing it your way. When you're dealing with a vomiting child in the middle of the night, especially when you're on your own, you have to do what you need to do.

I’d have done a cursory clean (eg got the chunks out, got some water and cleaning stuff on it) and done it properly the next day. BUT I have a husband who’d have been helping and only one child, and you have 3 under 5 on your own, so no judgement from me. Your ex sounds like a dick.

I would have done A purely as I would rather just get it done so I didn’t have to deal with it in the morning when it would be worse. I suspect DH would be more of a B man. I am also sure there are circumstances in which I could have done A, sometimes you just can’t deal with something at a certain point in time and kick the can down the road.

Jeez I can't believe you'd actually leave it. That's disgusting and completely unnecessary.

Could have done B I meant!

It doesn't matter what we'd do, you made your appropriate choices at the time which meant clean beds and maximum sleep all round. He's not doing it so his opinion is irrelevant, not asked for and unwelcome! Ignore the twatish judgements from Disney dad.

Don't share such stuff with him jus so that he can pick it apart , you don't need him bringing you down on top of a night like that! Hope you all have a better time of it tonight.

I honestly do it in the night BUT absolutely no judgement from me, I don't think it's 'disgusting'! So in my opinion you're all good! Hope your DD is feeling better.

I would have done it in the night, but only because I have a 2yo DS who would have rolled in it like a dog rolls in fox poo.
You do what works for you.

I would have done B. Surely the smell must have permeated the whole house by morning?

I would have had to clean it up, but as others have said, I have a husband who would be front and centre in the middle of the night with a sick child. No judgement from me OP; with 3 children under 5 you prioritised sleep.

I would have done it, purely because I wouldn't have wanted to face the smell in the morning, but he was being an arse. No question.

Hope your DD is better really soon.

Why did you tell him anything, not like she broke her arm.
He's an idiot

Cleaned it up, without a doubt.
I have no idea about your ex, in general, but he is right on this.
That must just have been foul by the morning.

I get that someone who isn't there and doesn't have to deal with it could be more restrained in their comments, but, it was probably instinct - that really is gross.

The issue here is not when you chose to clean up in your own home in the middle of the night whilst caring for three DC alone (one of whom is ill) but that your ex took it upon himself to criticize you for that choice.

Your instincts were right op. I would have told him to do one.