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

But you suggested a childminder! Then OP’s child could infect the CM, CM’s family, and CM’s other charges!

I’m with @Comedycook, if she’s not vomiting anymore send her in.

Oops sorry, didn’t RTFT. Hope you both feel better soon OP.

I didn't realise parents would ever do this. . I went on a work jolly and a woman took pride in telling me her daughter had been sick all night. But she'd sent her to school so she didn't miss the pointless jolly. I will never have the same opinion of that person ever again. Obviously not talking about the op.

For the future, I am an emergency temp nanny in London. And i get called to go to houses all the time for sick chikdren (notnsuper unwell) but has temperature and ir vomited
I can get a call in the morning at 7am and be on my way to a house to help so a parent can work, and child can stay home happy to play and rest. I get work non stop, not just for sick children but if the normal nanny or childminder cant have them etc.
Many nanny agencies offer these emergency back up nannies.

I was a childminder and it would be against my own set of policies and procedures to take in a very sick child, putting my other children and myself at risk.

Zoom/Teams/Skype. This is exactly the sort of thing it is great for!

How do you know that? Sounds like you’re working for the wrong company if that’s your experience…

You are a wonderful mama and a wonderful human. Clearly an excellent worker too. Well done for getting your child away from him. I know what it’s like being isolated with nobody to call on. You are doing an amazing job. Hope you both feel better soon xxx

No doubt some other fool took that exact same attitude last week and now poor Op and her child are reaping the consequences.

So sorry you are sick now too @MammothyGoodness
I would be completely honest in the zoom meeting. Say your child started vomiting last night and you have this morning, but that you have worked so hard on this and are so disappointed to not be there properly and apologise for not being at full steam. But they will see your determination that you are still attempting it and that will actually show you in a good favour and how much effort you’ve put in and you can offer to rearrange and meet again

Yeah, these suggestions are insane!!

There's no way I'd look after a vomiting/previously been vomiting child that wasn't my own and risk getting ill, then passing it on to my own family. Nor would I ever ask or expect anyone else to do that for me!!

D&V is just completely different to a cold; unfortunately the only people who can look after a vomiting child are their parents.

Have neither of you any care or thought for the poor child herself?! If she's vomiting on this scale her poor stomach muscles must be so sore and she will be exhausted and ye d pull her out of bed early next morning and send her off to school?!
Leaving aside the lack of care and thought for everyone else in the school I can't comprehend sending my child in on v little sleep and feeling awful even if the physical vomiting did stop in early hours of the morning

Yes, exactly, plus the child will probably tell the teacher anyway, which will also result in a phone call.

(OP, I realise you have more sense than some of these posters and have said you wouldn't send her in).

I hope you and your DD feel better soon. Please don't get too upset about missing this opportunity at work. There will be others. Your colleagues and line manager will know how much effort you have put in. You can't help being unwell, be kind to yourself and stop beating yourself up about something that isn't your fault.

I'm really hoping that they (or at least most of them) are trolls...

Sorry you're ill now OP.

In this situation, even if your child had been seemingly well enough to go to school, I'd have been afraid of starting to vom myself mid-presentation, and/or of sending the investors off to all be sick themselves for a week.

People know that sickness happens, investors probably have kids themselves and have been through it.

I'd work on finding someone local who can step in on these occasions though.

Oh OP I'm so sorry, this is so shit but frame it this way - if you have the bug too, you can't go in a spread it to your colleagues and investors. They won't want to get sick! you could have got sick even if you didn't have a child to look after.

do as much as you can remotely and tell the investors you are not going in to keep them safe and fingers crossed all will be ok. Good luck

Oh that's awful OP.

I really hope you and DD feel better asap.

And best of luck doing your meeting via zoom!

Let us know how it goes and how you are later x

Good luck OP. I was going to suggest sending her in after your initial post, but saw that she still continues to throw up and you caught it too. You dont want to throw up in front of investors :) Good that you sorted this through Zoom. It is so hard not having people around...For the future I would try and find as many local students / neighbours teenagers / childminders as possible to have on call.

D&V is spread through contact with the actual D&V, and the minute particles of it. So no, it’s not more contagious before it even starts. That makes absolutely no sense!

The virus has evolved and adapted to use the D&V as a means to spread itself around. Perhaps have a better understanding of such things before you declare that clinical advice is “ridiculous”. I expect you’ve been responsible for many dozens of other children and families becoming infected over the years, if that’s your attitude.

What’s the point of that? School would send her straight home again and she would have potentially infected others in the meantime.

what awful, awful advice. Not to mention cruel to a poor five year old girl who is feeling horrendous.

would you go to work with projectile vomiting? Of course not, so why would you send a five year old child? The mind boggles at some people out there.

Argh so frustrating, I would be annoyed too. Your allowed to feel upset about it - I would be! Work is still important to me.
Hoping everything still goes well for you today, and you are all on the mend soon!

Posters who say send her in, would you actually do this with your own unwell child? Seriously??

”Selfish” just doesn’t cover what I think of people like you. What about all the other working parents who’d find it incredibly difficult to get time off to look after a puking kid? Do you think everyone else’s bosses are that lenient and that it wouldn’t also be a major inconvenience for them to try and sort out childcare to cover the illness plus the 48 hour exclusion?

Believe it or not you are NOT the only parent that works, your job is NOT more valuable than anyone else’s, and your actions have real consequences for other kids and parents. Just don’t be such a dick.

Can't beleive some of these responses!

What about the poor ill little child in the middle of this who maybe just wants her own mummy and her own bed.
Not sent into school ill or left with a friend/relative/childminder/nanny like some PPs are suggesting (and to be honest, who would want to look after a child with a sick bug anyway!)
When you become a parent, you have to accept that sometimes, they just need you! Especially when they're ill, and that can mean plans having to change.

Op- I get the timing sucks, and it's hard not having a partner who can step in, but it's just one of those frustrating things.Surely the meeting can be arranged....those clients won't remember you putting them first.Your child might remember you not doing so for her though.

Hope you and your daughter feel better soon, OP!
If you do end up doing the presentation on Zoom this afternoon, hope it goes well.
Don’t give yourself a hard time in any case, and well done for getting yourself and your daughter away from an abusive man 💐