Kids Throwing Up

There are some pretty disgusting jobs you get to do as a parent. It starts as soon as they’re born - diapers filled with poop that’s runny and yellow and really gross looking. You think it’s gross until they really start to poop. Once they start eating real foods, and not just milk, then you’ll see that it’s really gross. It can get worse as they explode and the poop appears to be everywhere - fun times.

The thing about poop though is that you ultimately get used to it. Yeah, it’s still not fun, but after years of changing diapers and cleaning up after your child, poop is simply something you deal with. On the other hand, when your child throws up, you’re generally not ready or used to it. Throwing up is an uncommon occurrence, but it will happen. And when it does, you’ll get to deal with it.

Besides being grossed out by the throw up that’s everywhere, you’ll probably find yourself feeling really bad for your child. That’s one of the worst things about a child throwing up - there’s nothing that you can do about it. They’ll tell you their tummy hurts and then simply throw up all over the place. It’s one of the most heartbreaking things you have to watch your child suffer through without being able to do anything.

Cleaning up throw up is quite gross. Once your child is older, they’ll generally be able to throw up into a bucket or the toilet so the cleanup is less common. However, they may still miss and you’ll still be on the hook to clean up. The real issue is with younger children who simply don’t understand what’s going on or how to aim in the right place. Unfortunately, there’s not much you’ll be able to do.

After cleaning up a few times, you’ll likely get over some of the gag reflex that you may have the first time. However, not every parent is able to get over that reflex, so have a nose plug or something else to help you if needed. You’ll be cleaning up throw up off the floor, walls, and other places in the house. You’ll likely also have to clean up throw up out of the car as well - hopefully not during a long trip. 

Make sure you have some rubber gloves, a good rag, and a bucket to get the throw up into as you clean up. Also, you’ll want some type of sanitizer that will help to clear the smell away to some degree. Unfortunately, you’ll likely be dealing with the smell for some time if it’s made it onto the carpet or other upholstery - it’s hard to get that smell out completely. You may have to throw out bedding as well if they throw up at night.

One of the worst cases we had to deal with was when our son threw up at night while we were asleep. For whatever reason, he didn’t come and get us so the throw up just was there all night long - in his bed, on the wall and on the floor. In the morning, we smelled it on him and discovered it in his room. It was like oatmeal caked all over the wall and floor. It was absolutely disgusting to clean up, and the smell stayed around for some time.

Throw up is something that you are going to have to clean up as a parent. Do your best to get things as clean as possible, and move on. It’s a no fun job that has to be done.