Son was sick at school today, should I have offered to clean it up?

[breeze]

I got a call this morning to collect DS from school as he was sick, I like a few doors up and was there in a minute, DS was still in classroom grabbing coat etc when his teacher showed me where he had been sick, she couldn't believe someone so little could do so much and over a long distance. I thought nothing of it and took him home.

Whilst relaying the event to a friend she said did I offer to clean it up, TBH I never even though about it, I was just thinking about getting little boy home. Now I am feeling bad.

Would you have offered?

God no. Would have been the last thing on my mind.

No, wouldn't have offered. Kids are sick at school all the time.

Would you have offered to clean the mess up if he'd tipped his juice over at lunch time, or knocked the paint over in art? I doubt it - don't worry about it - it's not your responsiblity to clean it up! If you lived further away it would probably have already been cleaned up by the time you got there anyhow!

No i wouldn't have offered to clean it up.

Surley the priority was getting your Ds home. I don't think they would have expected you to do it.

I would've been too busy worrying about ds tbh.

Like you it would only have occured to me after the event. Obviously (and rightly) your main concern was to get him home. I used to work at a museum - often had kids on school trips throwing up - it didn't bother me clearing it up - it's not like they did it on purpose.

No I wouldn't have offered I don't think

My DD2 was extremely sick once in Newlook, and also had a nasty bout of very runny diarrhoea too (major reaction to some icecream she had eaten earlier that day!). I offered to clean up, and they just said to go sort out my daughter, that they were quite able to clean it, and obviously my little girl needed me more.

Your school will have thought the same....you son needs you more than they need you to clean, or even offer to clean.

Don't worry about it...honestly...that is what they pay their cleaners for, to clean. Ok, not nice cleaning sick, but they probably clean worse.

As a teacher, having experienced many children being sick in school, I would simply have been hugely grateful that you managed to arrive so quickly, and took your poorly ds home where he needed to be (you'd be amazed at how many people forget to update contact numbers with school, so that when something like this happens we can't get hold of anyone and end up with a v upset and ill bunny lying on the chairs in the staffroom with a bucket beside them ). I would never expect a parent to clean up the mess. Don't worry about it

Thanks all for your replies, I should have known better than to listen to a friend who is child-less

Someone told me that schools have something that they sprinkle onto sick which dries it up so that it can then just be swept up... Don't really know if that's right but it certainly sounds like a good idea.

They use sawdust don't they ?

I want some of that stuff......got a little boy here who throws up lots if he manages to get something he reacts to.....to sprinkle and sweep would be fantastic

Does it work down your clothes?

Sounds like great stuff.

DS did try to make it to the bathroom, but completely covered the small area to the cloakroom and the toilets, it definately couldn't have been left.

LOL, I am not a vomit expert but have managed to find this - let's hope the school had some!

wordgirl...that sounds fab...well done for finding it

We have that powder that we use to sprinkle over sick at school. Works quite well, plus it has a slight strawberry (?) smell, which helps to cover up the smell of the sick.

I think you did the right thing in tending to your DS and getting him home.

No I wouldn't have offered either

I'd have been more likely to add to it than get it cleared up effectively. hate sick

Nope, wouldn't have offered!