By now you’ve seen it. The photo of an adorable, vomit covered toddler (named Declan) in a car seat and Dad’s one-sided text conversation accompanying it. In no time at all, the post went viral. Dad tried desperately to get ahold of Mom who is out and not answering his calls or texts. He is a self-proclaimed “sympathetic vomiter” and after throwing up on a stranger’s lawn, ends up having to explain the whole nightmarish situation to the police. The story is funny and unfortunate, very relatable and just goes to show how challenging parenting can be.
The comments on the other hand are the real treat. Aside from the many, many vomit stories people are sharing, there are men and women who are entertained and empathetic… and some that are down right cruel.
- People are accusing the father of being childish, weak and far removed from the realities of child rearing.
- Some are offended that he is trying so hard to get ahold of his wife whom they feel deserves a night out.
- Others feel that he has no business having children at all if he is bothered by anything gross.
- Commenters are mad at other commenters for not taking his sympathetic vomiting seriously enough.
- Completely out of left field, some question the validity of the story at all because of Wi-Fi icons showing on the screen shots that suggest he couldn’t possibly be away from home!
The Internet commenting world was in a frenzy over this story! I personally find the situation harmless, pretty darn funny and I’m not at all concerned for Mom, who obviously wasn’t bullied into saving the day since she never did answer Dad’s cries for help. I mostly find myself wondering what my own husband would do in the same situation.
My vomit story: I have had the pleasure of experiencing two car-vomit situations so far, both with my older son and both requiring major clean up, clothing changes and driving with the windows down for a long while. It was not fun, but my main goal was staying calm and not making my sick little guy feel even worse about the situation.
My husband: while no stranger to blown-out diapers, epic booger events and head to toe food and grime clean-ups, has almost no experience with vomit. During a recent stomach bug, he held a bowl for our three year old to throw up in, all the while yelling at him in a panicked voice to tip his head forward. My son, who had been handling his sickness like a pro, dissolved into tears and I had to intervene. It was a challenge for my husband to remain quiet and supportive during a vomit episode in our living room. I’m not sure a calm head would prevail if my Hubs found himself alongside the road with our son covered in puke. That doesn’t mean he’s unprepared and ill equipped to be a father though. Being squeamish about this one area doesn’t make him less of a parent.
We all have our weak areas. I tend to worry incessantly over coughs, colds, and fevers while my husband shrugs off mild illness and waits for it to pass. I panic over bumped heads and minor falls while he saves his panic for when our kid decides to take a flight of stairs head first.
It helps to have someone by our side to balance it all out and once in awhile you’ve got to handle the messy business of parenting on your own. Maybe Declan’s dad does better with blood, poop or snot. Let’s hope anyway, cause that guy certainly cannot handle vomit.
Who has the stronger stomach in your household?
