Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

What do you do at night when your kid is sick?

29 replies

FreshOutOfFucks · 06/10/2024 23:22

DD 11 has a stomach bug and has thrown up a few times this evening. Her room is on a different floor of the house and I'm wondering whether I should go and sleep downstairs so I can be nearer to her. DH thinks I'm being over the top and to just let her sleep and she'll be fine - she can shout if she needs us.

Do you sleep in with your kids if they're sick or leave them to it?

OP posts:
BeachHutsAndDeckchairs · 06/10/2024 23:36

It depends on how many times they've been sick and how they cope with it. One of my dc gets it everywhere; the other has a better aim! When they've settled and give off to sleep I generally leave them there.

Theunamedcat · 06/10/2024 23:38

Depends on the child I would stay close to two of them as they get very distressed the third not so much

Clumsy12345 · 06/10/2024 23:39

No but I sleep on the same floor as my children so wouldn’t feel the need to

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

11 year olds Families
Foxxo · 06/10/2024 23:40

i used to sit with them for a couple of hours downstairs and then put them to bed with a bucket lined with a bin liner (can just tie it and throw it away if they vom, no cleaning involved) if they weren't being sick any more.

IF they were being repeatedly sick, i'd either settle them on the sofa and sit up with them/snooze on the chair, sleep next to their bed, OR if exH was on nights, have them in my bed with me. it really depended how sick they were and how co-operative exh was being at the time.

Pyjamatimenow · 06/10/2024 23:45

I sleep with mine always when they have stomach bugs. No real sleep happens

WomanFromTheNorth · 07/10/2024 08:48

Bring them into my bed and DH gets in theirs. And fetch a bucket and a glass of water.

Dogsandnumbers · 07/10/2024 08:55

WomanFromTheNorth · 07/10/2024 08:48

Bring them into my bed and DH gets in theirs. And fetch a bucket and a glass of water.

There's no way I'd be bringing a vomiting child into my bed!

Saisong · 07/10/2024 09:10

Although we had all bedrooms on the same floor, DH would always take a pillow and blanket and sleep on the floor in their room, or on the landing just outside the door. Fortunately they mostly had strong constitutions!

Singleandproud · 07/10/2024 09:12

DD had a high sleeper so would sleep in with me or I'd make a bed on the sofa for her (all our rooms are the same level).

DancingPhantomsOnTheTerrace · 07/10/2024 09:14

I send DH in to sleep in their room. This is mainly to stop a vomiting child coming out of their room and spreading sick everywhere.

Inspireme2 · 07/10/2024 09:23

I will have a child in with me if it is a respiratory illness.
Vomitting usually load them up with a few towels, a bowl, bottled water, & let them sleep on the couch.
Disrupts the house less & handy for the clean ups, tv on to settle, distract them.
Sometimes they seem to be more settled in with me.

Pyjamatimenow · 07/10/2024 09:36

Dogsandnumbers · 07/10/2024 08:55

There's no way I'd be bringing a vomiting child into my bed!

Show quote history

Kids get scared when they’re being sick. It’s awful for them. Any decent mum would stay next to them. My daughter suffered from cyclical vomiting syndrome so I’ve seen a lot of vomit

Namechange7364 · 07/10/2024 09:52

Dogsandnumbers · 07/10/2024 08:55

There's no way I'd be bringing a vomiting child into my bed!

Show quote history

Same! It's just worse for everyone if the sickness spreads.

My DD8 is quite prone to sickness bugs, but they usually start 5/6am so we have a whole protocol 🤣 She and I go downstairs and she doses on the sofa in between vomiting. As she's so experienced(!), she knows when she's going to be sick, so can make it to the toilet, which is right next to the living room. We luckily have more than one toilet, so although I clean it in between episodes (and then thoroughly again after it's over), noone else uses it for a few days afterwards.

Touch wood, we can usually contain sickness bugs to the one person who has them (usually DD and myself).

Though (younger) DS has only ever been sick twice in his life and not for over two years so that may all go out the window if he brings one home 🤣

Namechange7364 · 07/10/2024 09:55

Pyjamatimenow · 07/10/2024 09:36

Kids get scared when they’re being sick. It’s awful for them. Any decent mum would stay next to them. My daughter suffered from cyclical vomiting syndrome so I’ve seen a lot of vomit

Show quote history

You can stay near to them without them being in your bed!

My DD (who is very prone to sickness bugs) has ASD and is very dependent on me (has certain routines of things that only I can do for her even though she has a DF)... It would be worse for her if I then got sick and was out of action.

Elliebox · 07/10/2024 09:56

I use the spare baby monitor just so I can keep an eye on my eldest if he’s really sick! The other two littles share a room so we have a camera anyway for baby

Tdcp · 07/10/2024 10:10

DD always slept with me when she was poorly. She's 10 now and still does.

Dogsandnumbers · 07/10/2024 10:11

Namechange7364 · 07/10/2024 09:55

You can stay near to them without them being in your bed!

My DD (who is very prone to sickness bugs) has ASD and is very dependent on me (has certain routines of things that only I can do for her even though she has a DF)... It would be worse for her if I then got sick and was out of action.

Show quote history

Yes exactly. Of course I wouldn't leave DC alone but like hell would I bring them into my bed throwing up.

thebigL · 07/10/2024 10:12

I used to sit by their beds and sleep.

Positivenancy · 07/10/2024 10:14

In most cases I sleep in with them or they get in my bed. Definitely if they slept on another floor

museumum · 07/10/2024 10:19

our bedroom is next door to dc so we just sleep with the doors open. ds is in a high sleeper so i think i'd put him on the pull out on the floor instead of up there in case he needs to run to the loo quickly.
I wouldn't share a bed though as it's best for everyone if i don't catch it too.

Snugglemonkey · 07/10/2024 10:20

I take them into my bed to be close.

okydokethen · 07/10/2024 10:38

I'd chuck DH out and child comes in with me.

He gets to sleep and I get to respond quickly but more comfortably to ill child and they like to be in with me when unwell not that it happens very often thankfully.

OnlyMurdersInTheBuilding · 07/10/2024 10:42

I decamp with my DD to the guest room and share a bed. I stick the TV on with some Disney plus to distract her in between being poorly. DH and I take turns if it lasts more than a night.
No way could I leave her in her room on her own when she has been poorly, even though our rooms are right next to each other.

Marblesbackagain · 07/10/2024 10:46

It thankfully has been a long times. Age dependent decamp to our massive leather corner sofa, - which means space for us and easy clean up if caught unawares - music or TV . Bucket and sleep, oh and away from carpet 🤦‍♀️

WhitegreeNcandle · 07/10/2024 10:47

Foxxo · 06/10/2024 23:40

i used to sit with them for a couple of hours downstairs and then put them to bed with a bucket lined with a bin liner (can just tie it and throw it away if they vom, no cleaning involved) if they weren't being sick any more.

IF they were being repeatedly sick, i'd either settle them on the sofa and sit up with them/snooze on the chair, sleep next to their bed, OR if exH was on nights, have them in my bed with me. it really depended how sick they were and how co-operative exh was being at the time.

This bin liner tip is GENIUS!!!!

Swipe left for the next trending thread