JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div id="test">Hey!
    <div id="child">delete me</div>
</div>

JavaScript

var b = document.getElementById("test");

console.log("b before:", b);

while(b.firstChild) {
    console.log("removing child:",b.firstChild);
    b.removeChild(b.firstChild);
}

console.log("b's value post remove:", b);

b.appendChild(document.createTextNode("Some new text."));

var text = b.textContent || b.innerText;
console.log("text:", text);