A mom is facing backlash online after posting a video of her sick toddler lying on the driveway, explaining that he wasn’t allowed inside the house because of his stomach virus — due to her emetophobia.
For those unfamiliar with the term, emetophobia is an extreme fear of vomiting. Most people dislike throwing up — or seeing, hearing, or smelling others do it. But for people with emetophobia, the fear goes much deeper.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, emetophobia is classified as a “specific phobia” in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It’s a mental health condition that can leave people “constantly worried about vomiting.”
What is emetophobia?
The Cleveland Clinic explains that the fear can “take over your thoughts” and “impact your life beyond just feeling afraid.” It can stop people from relaxing, joining social activities, or even eating.
Emetophobia can be especially difficult for parents of young children, who are unable to fully care for themselves when sick, don’t have the same control as adults, and can’t clean up after themselves. Now, one mom is facing major criticism online over how she handled her toddler’s illness.
Posted a video of her son sleeping on the driveway
Ashley, who posts on TikTok under the name @the_accidental_adult, shared a video showing her toddler sleeping on the driveway beside his dad while recovering from a stomach virus.
“POV: you have emetophobia, so your toddler’s stomach virus gets moved to the driveway,” she captioned the video, adding: “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
The TikTok quickly went viral, racking up millions of views, with many users criticizing the situation in the comments.
“As someone with raging emetophobia, this is insane,” one commenter wrote, according to Bored Panda. “Your kid should be in his own room in his own bed. I’d be the one outside if I really couldn’t deal with it.”
“What kind of selfish BS is this?” another person asked, while a third wrote: “I can’t imagine being sick with a stomach virus and having to go outside and lie on the pavement.”
A fourth viewer added: “I couldn’t imagine doing that to my kid. Especially not filming it afterward like it’s a cute quirk and not a complete failure as a parent.”
“You guys are acting like I threw my son in a dumpster”
After receiving a comment saying, “I have emetophobia too and I would never banish my child to the DRIVEWAY,” Ashley decided to respond and defend her actions in a follow-up video.
“Okay, so some of you parenting experts are acting like I banished my son to the driveway with a loaf of bread and no supervision,” Ashley said, according to Bored Panda.
“Number one: he wanted to go outside. I am a severe emetophobe, so hearing that from my stomach-bugged toddler was very welcome. I was so happy he wanted to go outside. Also, fresh air is amazing for you when you’re not feeling well.”
“He also had unlimited iPad access, which was a once-in-a-lifetime treat for him. He had two loving parents caring for him the entire time. We never left his side.”
She also emphasized that he came back inside once temperatures started rising, and that he is loved and cared for.
“You guys are acting like I threw my son in a dumpster in a foreign place and ran away,” she said in another video.
“I have emetophobia, and it can be pretty debilitating at times, so I made the best decision as a parent in that moment because I didn’t want my reaction to scare him.”
