What to do when your child is throwing up - Tips and Tricks for parents

Many years ago I wrote a post titled, “What to do When Kids are Throwing Up” simply because that day my then preschool age daughter was very sick with the stomach bug and I knew that I had some tips and tricks that could help other parents in the same predicament.

Fast forward almost 5 years later that that old post is still one of the most popular posts on this blog. The picture is grainy and old as dirt but the advice and comments on that post are worth their weight in gold, especially if you have a sick child.

While I still stand by all the advice in that post, if you haven’t read it yet – start there.

My other post on What to Do When Your Child is Throwing Up will help you navigate these not so fun times but there were so many great comments on that post that I couldn’t keep them to myself.

Today I just wanted to weed through them and give you some of the best pieces of advice from readers.

Here’s some of my favorites that I wish I would have thought of when my kids were younger:

How to Get Kids to Stay Hydrated When Throwing Up:

One of the nurses at our pediatrician’s office recommended giving a few tablespoons of liquid at every commercial. My six year old was able to do on his own the last time he was sick which kept him hydrated and allowed me to still take care of my other three children.

Now that’s a smart mama and keeping kids still so they can heal will involve TV or watching a show. To bring this up-to-date, make them take a sip each time a new episode comes on Netflix.

I freeze the ginger ale in a Popsicle form so its flat, cold, and helps keep her hydrated. Also it makes it so she eats it very slow. And clear Gatorade works well too!!! – Nikki

Great tip – especially on the clear Gatorade. You do not want to be scrubbing red Gatorade throw-up out of your carpet later. Clear drinks are necessary if they can’t hold down liquid yet.

How to Clean Up Throw-up or Prevent a Mess!

For cleaning nastiness out of carpet, my family swears by clear windex (you can get it with vinegar) It’s a great spot cleaner for carpets and it’s easy to use. You should still get the bacteria out with soap (vomit is nasty stuff) but the windex will kill the stain and the stench!

Windex is one of my go-to tricks that I use all the time to clean stains out of carpet. It’s really great for grease stains.

I use the cheap plastic table cloths you can get at the dollar store or nicer vinyl, flannel backed table cloths. I usually cover the entire living room floor with them and then make up a bed for the child on the floor and also place them on the floor around their bed as well. This way I can just throw them away. – Shannon

I love the cheap plastic table cloths from the Dollar Store. I use them by the arm full to decorate for Vacation Bible School but keeping some on hand for any mess is a great idea.

So Goodnights makes these potty training pads with adhesive on the bottom. I stick these to bedsides, couches, and floors, and then just throw them away. Saves me everythinh: time, wash, carpet, mattresses, couches. Sometimes, you just miss the bowl. – Heather

We love Goodnights potty training pads in our home. Fortunately we no longer need them but I used them for many years when we traveled with a bed wetter. See what worked for us in this post – How to Travel with a Bedwetter.

One thing I didn’t see mentioned was to line your throw up bucket or bowl (we use an ice cream bucket) with plastic grocery bags. That way you can just remove one bag and tie it up and toss it. No puke dumping or washing of the bowl so you don’t splash the germs around. – Cindy

Why didn’t I ever think of this??

How to Keep the Stomach Bug from Spreading

I’ve worked with kids for the past 15 years. First as a preschool teacher and now as a volunteer in children’s ministry. I’ve seen my fair share of stomach bugs but when I started volunteering at our church, I learned one trick that I think has saved me from bringing home a stomach bug. Grape Juice.

Plain Concord Grape Juice.

Our children’s pastor introduced this tip to me awhile back. I have seen him leave in the middle of Wednesday night service to grab a bottle from the store and bring it back to the church. Then all the children’s ministry leaders pass around cups full of grape juice before they leave for the night if a child has thrown up during church.

I’ve had many other friends report the same results when the stomach bug hits their house.

Do not give a child grape juice if they are already sick. You’ll get to scrub purple off your floor if so.

But if someone is not showing any symptoms, give them a small glass of juice at least once a day until it is out of your home.

The most important thing when your child is throwing up is that if you feel like your child needs to go to the emergency room, take them. If you are concerned, don’t wait. Trust your parent instincts.

The good news is that pretty soon, your kids will be old enough that you won’t need most of these tips anymore. Then you can look back at pictures of your little babies laying on the floor next to a puke bowl and actually miss those days. Next I need to update this post, Parenting: The Real Dirty Job, because it stops at the teen years and that’s where we currently stand.

Go forth and conquer the puke – and it’s going to sound weird to say this but as one mom of older kids to a parent of younger kids, one day you’re going to miss times like these.

How to Make This Awesome Shirt! DIY Freezer Paper Stencils (and a Free Cut File!)

Fall Hoop Wreath - Let's Make Some Fall Decor!

Your Community Rocks - How to Paint Rocks