AIBU for leaving a cafe after my baby was sick?

[Angrycafe]

I was out with DD (2m) and DH earlier at a cafe. DH had to leave 5 minutes before I did with DD because he was running late to meet his friend to watch football.

As I was getting my belongings together, DD was sick everywhere, including on the floor. I was really flustered and quickly left, making sure the immediate area (the table) was clear but admittedly didn’t clean the floor.

A woman (staff) hurried out of the cafe after me and started ranting about a lack of respect and that I wouldn’t be welcome back. I just burst out into tears.

I wish in hindsight I had cleaned it, by I was flustered and in a mess. Am I terrible for doing this?

Hope you're okay OP 🫂 honestly not great to leave baby sick everywhere, I always clean up after my DS when he's just dropped food on the floor. But I can imagine it won't happen again and you were just shocked in the moment.

It’s very stressful when these things happen, I personally would have said to staff what happened and offered to clean it, I imagine most would have said it’s fine. But baby sick, that’s pretty wet and gross to leave for someone else without at least acknowledging it.

Can you go in tomorrow with a bunch of flowers or something and apologise?

You should have cleaned it up, yes. But I'm sorry you had to deal with that situation because I imagine it was very stressful.

Ok. The thing is that you really needed to tell a member of staff. It's a horrible situation, I've been there, so have many parents, but that's really what you needed to do.
I hope baby is ok now.

How much sick can a 2m old do? It's just milk surely. Try not to worry x

Yes, you should have cleaned it up or asked staff for help. But it’s done now, so don’t beat yourself up. Maybe think through how you might handle it better next time, and/or take some flowers in tomorrow to apologise?

I understand you were flustered but I think you need to put yourself in the staff member's shoes given that she did have to clear it up.

Hope your baby is feeling better now 🙂

Did you tell anyone that she had been sick over the floor? I appreciate it's hard when you have a new baby but it's really not ok to just leave sick for someone else to sort. I would definitely pop in and apologise with some chocolates or flowers.

When mine was sick I told a member of staff and offered to clean up, but they said it was ok, they'd do it. I'm sure it's not the first baby sick they've dealt with!

This. 💯

Babies have diseases not every adult is immune to, though. It was antisocial to leave it I would be furious.

I wouldn’t feel comfortable returning after how she spoke to me, but I appreciate the suggestion x

You talk to the staff and at least apologise and ask if you can help clear it up. You should have done the same if you threw up as well. It's basic manners. Also I wouldn't have run away with my child, I would have gone to the toilet and cleaned them up as well. I would go in tomorrow to apologise. Put it down to panic, but you need to rectify this as it's not acceptable to have left in the way you did. But you can explain this when you go back in and say sorry.

She spoke to you like that because you behaved badly.

It wasn't great to leave it.

Next time, and there will be a next time somewhere as young children can vomit unexpectedly, just tell the staff what has happened. If you start to clean it up with tissues they will most likely tell you to stop as they have a mop etc. But you should always make the effort.

I think you should go in and apologise with a bunch of flowers.

She only spoke to you like that though because you just upped and left assuming someone else would clean it up.

If you go back and apologise they will see you were flustered and you feel guilty for leaving them to sort it out.

I think it's important to, because you're not just apologising, you're facing what was an upsetting situation. I think once you've done that, you could just put it all behind you.

In future definitely either clean it up or let them know it’s happened. I had two very pukey (and totally happy with it) babies so it was just second nature dealing with it really.

I always cleaned up any floor food with weaning DC too when you get to that point, anything big enough to pick up I would do so and use a baby wipe or two to give the floor a wipe.

Seems unusual a staff member would have rushed over to your table the second you left and had time to inspect the floor and then run out the door to confront you. It must have been everywhere and a lot of it for them to confront you.

I wouldn't beat yourself up, post partum trenches are hard enough but I'd have told them even if I'd cleaned the area because the table needs completely sanitised before anyone else sits down and touches it.

That’s a nice idea

I mean you could of told the staff at least so they where aware of it

Yeh that's pretty grim. A muslin or a few baby wipes would have sorted it. I think you should apologise tomorrow if you can.

Cafe staff have to clean up all sorts of shit after customers, so I can understand her being a bit annoyed.

It's done now so try not to stress, but I'd either clean up in future or if you really can't for some reason, I'd at least draw their attention to it and apologise.

Sometimes an acknowledgement or apology is all staff want, to make them feel respected.

Well, you sound young, so I will be kind.

You left a floor covered in baby sick, it's not really acceptable. She was quite right to speak crossly because it was wrong of you to do that.

Learn from it, don't do it again.

And go back in tomorrow and say you were over-tired and just panicked and you are very sorry.