Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If your child vomited in a restaurant what would you do?

202 replies

TheTiredBartender · 21/02/2023 22:07

Don't read this post if talking about vomit disturbs you.

I work FOH in a nice independent restaurant. It's expensive and quite formal. Not really a place for small children but we do have a lot of families eating with us during the holidays.

It's day 2 of half term here and I have had 2 different children vomit in my restaurant. I honestly can not believe how the parents involved have behaved. I need to get this off my chest.

The first one yesterday was dreadful. Poor child stood in the middle of the room, gagging and retching, and her parents just sat there! There was no way she would have made it to the loo so I ran over with the bin from my bar and instead of puking in to the bin the poor kid turned her head towards a table of four and let go. I was literally catching sick in my hands so it didn't land on this woman just trying to eat her lunch.
Her parents still did nothing, just carried on sitting there with their mouths hanging open. So I held the bin up under her chin and helped her to the bathroom. Finally her mum came in to help the poor girl and I returned to absolute chaos in the restaurant.
I got everything cleaned up, the vomit family came to pay their bill and asked for the gratuity to be removed. I don't ever expect tips, the gratuity is added to the bill automatically, I have no problem removing it normally but when I have literally just caught your child's vomit in my bare hands I think leaving that 10% tip is the least you can do. They didn't even say thank you.

Then today I have a table of 12 in my section, 8 adults and 4 children. They're enjoying their main courses when all of a sudden they stand up at once and start getting ready to leave, very suspicious behaviour. I start walking over when one of the mum's comes rushing up to me and tells me, in a very jolly manner, that one her of her children has just vomited a little bit but it's fine because she caught it on her plate and they just want to pay the bill and get the child home. I hand her over to another waitress to sort the bill and go over to their table.
She definitely managed to catch the vomit on her plate. And 6 other plates. It's in some glasses, on a cushion, and in the flowers. Oh, and the floor! There is no way that much sick came from one child. So, once again, I am left to clean up vomit. I have to give my customers to the other servers and close that section to deal with it all.
While I'm cleaning the waitress who dealt with their bill comes over to tell me that they removed the gratuity and also demanded a 50% discount since they didn't get to finish their meals before their child was sick. When that was refused they made a complaint that I had pulled a face and given a disgusted look and I should be more cheerful.

There is, of course, the knock-on effect of other customers being unhappy and complaining (understandable) and wanting discounts on their bills etc.

I have two children. We eat out often. If one of them were to be sick then I'd be cleaning it up myself and if for some reason I couldn't then I would be apologising to every staff member and customer nearby then I'd leave a huge tip.

YABU - Minimum wage waiting staff should clean up vomit without complaining.

YANBU - Of course I'd clean up my child's vomit and if I couldn't then I'd make sure the staff knew how grateful I am for their help.

OP posts:
Eyerollcentral · 22/02/2023 01:52

MeanCanadianLady · 22/02/2023 01:50

It frankly probably is norovirus. I got it at the same time I caught covid. I thought I was having long covid and super terrified. Called my doctor and he said all his calls were about covid and norovirus. He said everyone, everyone has been throwing up this month. I tested positive for the dreaded disease. I vomited for another week but took comfort in knowing it was not long covid. Somehow daughter and husband avoided it thank the stars!

Sorry but none of this is relevant unless you puked round a restaurant and expected someone else to clean it up!

MeanCanadianLady · 22/02/2023 01:57

Eyerollcentral · 22/02/2023 01:52

Sorry but none of this is relevant unless you puked round a restaurant and expected someone else to clean it up!

Show quote history

It is relevant because they were discussing it up thread and someone was accusing OP OF giving the customers food borne illnesses or not cooking it properly.

Emptycrackedcup · 22/02/2023 02:05

They should clean it all up themselves!! And leave a bloody big tip. Disgusting assholes! Sorry you had to deal with this OP FlowersWine

Emptycrackedcup · 22/02/2023 02:05

KindlyKanga · 21/02/2023 22:32

Asking to remove the service charge (and more!) Is beyond disgusting

This Angry

HirplesWithHaggis · 22/02/2023 03:03

YorkshireRose777 · 22/02/2023 01:51

It's very easy to read some of the messages in this thread in a scottish accent.

I am a Scot and bemused by this comment. Any particular Scottish accent? We have many.

Zanatdy · 22/02/2023 03:58

My son used to be sick a lot when younger. Thank God he grew out of it around 12. Smells would make him vomit so unless on holiday we avoided eating out. I took a carrier bag, or he legged it to the toilet. Never needed a waitress etc to sort it out, very rude of them

Snugglemonkey · 22/02/2023 04:56

It has not happened to us in a restaurant. I have always cleaned up any mess my child has made though.

DC did once vomit in a swimming pool, which was awful.

DreamingofGinoclock · 22/02/2023 05:01

It's crazy right .... Also all the talk of must be food poisoning... pretty sure food poisoning doesn't come on within minutes of eating.. more like hours

Maraudingmarauders · 22/02/2023 05:05

Absolutely appalling behaviour but unfortunately I'm not shocked by it.
I used to work in a coffee shop and had a lady with her young son (I'd guess 5ish?) She'd ordered but hadn't paid. Sandwiches on the toaster, coffee in process. Young son turned and projectile vomited over the (thankfully glass covered) cake fridge, front desk, and general foyer/queuing area. She just sId "oh for goodness sake! I won't be needing those anymore (waving her arm in our general direction)" grabbed her son by the arm and just marched out never to be seen again.
We obviously went into full biohazard mode, opened windows and started cleaning the place and had two customers come mid-clean and demand refunds as the vomit had put them off their food.

On a side note, I also know had a customer demand a refund and for his drink to be transferred to a takeaway cup because a pigeon had entered the cafe. I physically had the pigeon in my hands (I'd caught it) when he came over with his coffee. I was severely tempted to ask him to hold the pigeon whilst I dealt with his request.

chartreuseabuse · 22/02/2023 05:10

This reminds me of a child vomiting in a play group. The mum just stood and watched, vomit all down the child more and more on the carpet completely unnecessary. There was a tiled floor she could have been moved on to just a few feet away. Zero effort from the mum. A teacher ran over with a bucket and cleaned it and the child up and provided fresh clothes. I would have helped but was breast feeding at the time. It was so bizarre and unnecessary to cause all the mess by doing absolutely nothing and then expect the teacher to deal with the child. Some people can't look after their own.

CjCreggsFish · 22/02/2023 06:09

WhiteNarcissi · 21/02/2023 22:37

My child vomited several times a week for about a year when he was seriously ill. It was exhausting and stressful. He actually nearly died. No I didn't always clear up or tip every time if we were out - we were barely surviving. Maybe show some sympathy as you don't know what's going on?!

That is vile. I'm all for empathy but just leaving vomit in public because you're having a hard time is beyond disgusting

UsuallyJustLurk · 22/02/2023 06:13

Absolutely dreadful, but I'm not shocked either after our experience at panto last Christmas! Small child in our row vomited several times, filling various vessels (pop corn buckets/cups etc), we hadn't realised she was being sick until after the show, it just sounded like coughing. Then we realised she must have been vomiting when we could see what they'd left behind. Poor kid having to stay at a performance whilst being sick and disgusted at what her family left for others to deal with. Surely you'd leave straight away and apologise profusely, not let her carry on?!
I know an usher at the theatre and she said it's really common Angry

doadeer · 22/02/2023 06:16

I would be mortified and frantically trying to clean it up. And we would leave a huge tip as an apology.

They sound absolutely disgusting.

Rosebel · 22/02/2023 06:20

My 2 year son was sick at the barber shop while waiting for his hair to be cut. I was mortified.
Obviously I cleaned it up and apologised about 10 times. I also said I'd pay for his haircut, despite the fact he hadn't had his hair cut as we'd wasted an appointment but the barber said not to worry. I haven't dared to go back.

MotherofBingo · 22/02/2023 06:54

I'm a waitress too OP, last year during in half term we had 4 children vomit in the space of a 2 weeks. (No food poisoning). There was a nasty case of norovirus going round (I have one child in nursery and one in school, the parents were well aware that it was making the rounds). The way parents would deal (or wouldn't deal) with it is astonishing to me. Not one of those tables left a tip, apologised or thanked us, granted two were single parents who just wanted to get out as soon as possible though, one table in particular made my blood boil. It was a group of mums - why do these groups always seem to be the worst for leaving mess and allowing the children to run riot? - a small child, about 6 years old had already been sick in the toilet once, told the mum and was told to go and lie down on the chairs on an empty table because mum was finishing her meal and wine. 😡 that one shocked me. Who on earth treats their child like that.

I have plenty of horror stories about retail and hospitality though as I'm sure we all do, you can tell a lot about people by the way they treat their servers in shops and restaurants.

BellePeppa · 22/02/2023 07:38

Terrible behaviour by the families as they were well aware of what was happening. My son vomited while standing up in a very packed train. No one else was aware he’d done it and I cleaned up as much as I could but was horrified to find a man in front of us getting off the train had some of the vomit on the back of his coat. I sometimes wonder what he must have thought when he found it.

Blankspace35 · 22/02/2023 07:41

My daughter was sick as we walked into a restaurant, it went all over the floor and came out of nowhere, we apologised profusely and i cleaned it all up, i just asked them for cleaning materials and then we left. I dont understand why someone wouldnt do that

Makegoodchoices · 22/02/2023 07:50

I worked in a swimming pool in the late 90s, it was very common for parents to let kids eat straight before a swim and then stare blankly at you while you cleaned up their child’s vomit from the floor.

FindingMeno · 22/02/2023 07:55

I would apologise profusely, ask for the cleaning stuff, and clean up, even if it was just removing the bulk.

Shitfather · 22/02/2023 08:00

HirplesWithHaggis · 22/02/2023 03:03

I am a Scot and bemused by this comment. Any particular Scottish accent? We have many.

Show quote history

🤣 This will be my fave MN comment of the day.

Soproudoflionesses · 22/02/2023 08:01

My dd was sick at the leisure centre once, it was grim! It was in the toilets but l asked for a map and bucket and cleared every last bit of it up myself. Wouldn't dream of expecting someone else to do it.

FlamingoQueen · 22/02/2023 08:07

My ds once vomited in a restaurant at a well known holiday park. No idea it was coming, but was related to teething. The staff were amazing (we’d caught 99% of it) and actually covered our plates so we could take the plates back to the room. We were very grateful that the staff were lovely and understanding and understood that we just wanted to pay and leave.

For you to have had the parents you’ve had in your restaurant, I am appalled. I would have been so grateful that you rushed over with a bucket! I would have paid the tip and probably popped back the next day with some chocs!

You are not the problem in this scenario! Next time (heaven forbid there is one) then shout to the parents about helping and sorting out their child. Shame them!

QueSyrahSyrah · 22/02/2023 08:14

Christ, what a bunch of animals. Last time I was babysitting my Godson he was sick on the grass in a PARK and I went to every effort to clean it up.

YANBU OP.

Hankunamatata · 22/02/2023 08:38

Utterly disgusted at parents behaviour.

It happened once to me as a parent when my asd child over ate, lucky it wasnt much and on the table. I started cleaning up with napkins and I asked for hot water and disinfectant and cloths to clean it up. The staff were lovely and said not to worry so I gave them a huge tip.

MistyMooninabluesky · 22/02/2023 08:53

A lovely local garden centre has banned children from one of its cafes because some delightful parent’s offspring vomited on a sofa so the parent simply turned the cushions over 🤢
They’ve had so much disgusting behaviour that it was putting people off staying for coffee or lunch.
why do (mainly mothers) think that trashing a place is acceptable? Children were filmed on cctv standing on the tables, throwing soft furnishings around, one pulled down his pants and poo’d under a table. There were even mothers filming their kids ‘enjoying themselves’ and putting it on the local Facebook page.