Child vomiting and I’ve got a huge meeting tomorrow

[MammothyGoodness]

So my youngest has started vomiting. It’s like the exorcist, walls, carpet, bed etc. not the best news but normally I can manage. Except tomorrow I’ve got a huge meeting, massive. I’m Meeting some potential investors, taking them on a tour of our offices, showing them how our product works and then presenting in the afternoon. Others could probably do some of it, but I’m the point of contact, I’ve worked my ass off on this for months, and now I’m stuck. School won’t take her if she’s thrown up. I don’t want to send her in if she’s sick. I’m a single parent. Family are away, I’ve literally got no one who can help me. I can’t leave her, which means I can’t go in. So now my meeting is ruined and I could just cry

I can't believe the number of people who would send in a child in the situation OP describes. It sounds like she's being very very sick.

It's so selfish and shows a complete lack of care for the school staff (who don't want to clean up your child's vomit), the other students (who don't want to catch it), the other parents (who will then have to take time of work themselves unless they're also selfish arseholes) and most of all, your own child. If they've spent Sunday night projectile vomiting, they are not going to be feeling great on Monday morning and it's just cruel to pack them off to school less than 12 hours later.
And there's the point that PPs have made that sickness bugs can make some people dangerously unwell.

So sorry, OP. Hope you're both feeling better soon and that the zoom meeting goes smoothly 💐

I'm so sorry OP, I hope you all feel better soon. This is by far the worst part of parenting I think.
I've scraped through zoom meetings with vomiting either side so I'm confident you'll do well, good luck

Good luck for today, OP. And wishing you both well soon x

What? The parents of the other kids in class also have jobs you know. You can't just decide to give people stomach bugs.

Good luck OP, just sip at water, don't try to eat anything till after your zoom meeting, you really don't want to throw up during that. If you do, excuse yourself and make sure you turn your mic off.

Ah that's rotten. Get well soon @MammothyGoodness

I’m so sorry OP, this is an awful situation for you and I feel your pain.

But to those who suggest sending a 5 year old (who will be feeling very poorly) to school I really hope you don’t and never have children. If you do, I feel very very sorry and concerned for them and this thread has made me feel sad.

How is that helpful to the OP. She wasn't even suggesting going in she was lamenting the loss of the meeting she was working so hard for

I'm sorry OP. It's such a stressful situation & I absolutely get it (fellow single mother, working f/t).

I'm sorry you are sick; huge respect for you doing the presentation. Hope you make it through!

I've been in your shoes before & felt despairing about missing work commitments. I still have those moments. But honestly, even though it's so frustrating & disappointing now, no-one is holding it against you & it doesn't matter in the wider scheme of things.

I hope you & DD feel better soon 💐

Hope you feel better soon, and hope your day goes as well as it can.

Is there a small meeting room at your work where you could set her up with a sleeping bag; pillow and movie while you do the urgent bits at work?

How bloody rude of people to repeatedly question where the dad is. I would imagine he'd be the obvious choice unless there were a good (private) reason why he couldn't. People love to pry don't they.

Op I'm so sorry this has happened but you've done the only logical thing and props to you for going through with the zoom meeting while sick yourself. I hope all goes well.

Good luck OP 💐

Good luck OP. Fellow lone parent here with no contact from ex so I get it.

Those saying "you don't get these years back" etc I wonder if you are lone parents. Career is important when yours is the only household income. OP wasn't planning on leaving her child, she was just frustrated about missing out on something important.

Are you serious? What idiot sends there vomiting child into school?

Exactly.

There's always that worry that you'll be seen as less reliable, as a single parent. There's also that inner compulsion to make everything work, as you feel you must.

@bluelavender the OP is now ill too

Good luck with the presentation. Hope you make it through.

All the best for today OP what a nightmare. Hope you both feel better soon

Get well soon OP!

Good luck with making it through the presentation OP 💪

Best of luck OP. Hope you both feel better soon.

Good luck!

OP shouldn’t have to explain the situation with the dad - if he isn’t there he isn’t there. I’ve been there too.

Glad you managed to find a work around x

Hope you both feel better soon, OP. Such terrible timing, unfortunately you’ll find that this will happen along the way.
It happens, and can be rearranged.

I’m absolutely speechless that people had suggested you send her in 🤬How unbelievably selfish and stupid. You’ve obviously no regard for the teachers and TAs who work with your kids (who will not only get sick themselves, but who will have to clean up the vomit) for the other kids and their families, and for the child herself.
And don’t forget that one of the first questions a staff member will ask the child will be something along the lines of “Since when have you been feeling sick?” and a 5 year old child, in their honesty will always tell the truth, that they were vomiting the night before. The staff will know that you’ve sent a vomiting child to school. So don’t think you’re being clever when you do that.