Neale Godfrey: Return to the Nest
Jill Patir: Hug Your Loved Ones a Little Tighter
Sick or Faking It? How to Tell the Difference
Filed under: Opinions
This morning -- in between bites of Cheerios -- my kindergartner told me her stomach hurt and she didn't think she could go to school. I was suspicious. But over the weekend, she had an ear infection I'd dismissed, so I'm not exactly 100% confident in my parental radar at the moment.I called her in sick to school, tucked her in on the couch, and turned on a movie. Within a half hour, she said, "Mom. I'm not sick. I just don't want to go to school."
The kiddo has a lot to learn in the art of deceiving parents.
She's missed two days in the last two weeks, one for the above-mentioned ear infection and another for the cold that caused it. I suspect she got a taste of staying home and so is doing a little experimenting with how far she can take it -- an experiment that will end at lunch today when I deliver her to her classroom.
I can remember faking sick on more than one occasion, and I also remember the day my parents finally called me on it. Kids like a "mental health day" as much as the rest of us, but when a child persistently tries to avoid school, it can be a sign of anxiety, depression, or problems with other children.
Not sure if your little one is faking it or sick? ABC News has a few ideas for helping you sleuth it out. Vague symptoms or those that seem to move around the body are a red flag, as are those that disappear once that call to the school office has been made.
| Yes. But only now and then. | |
|---|---|
| No. School is too important. | |
| I'm not really sure how to tell the difference. | |
| Other -- share with us in comments. |
Your<span>Voice</span>
Ask Us Anything About Parenting
TheTalkies:RelatedVideos
-
Around The Net: Fake Snowman Prank
Attack of the Show's Candace Bailey and Michael Kosta share the best and worst from Around the Net. Today: Fake Snowman Prank, Dogstep, Domino Fail, How To Keep Cats Off The Counter, and Spartan High School Style.
-
Facebook for grownups - #2 - Find Friends on Facebook
Once you have your own Facebook account, it's time to find your friends online. That's what Facebook and the social networking phenomenon is all about. You can find out what your high school crush is up to now as well as seeing whether the coworker that called in sick today was actually sick or just faking it.
-
Report: NYC School Employee Faked Family Death
A NYC school employee pleaded guilty to forgery and lost her job after faking her daughter's death, a special investigations office said. Officials said she carried out the fabrication so she could enjoy a longer vacation. (Jan. 9)
-
Fake Gun Prompts Lockdown At NY High School
A 911 call about a teen possibly carrying a gun forced a Long Island high school into lockdown for several hours on Tuesday before authorities gave the all-clear. An air-powered toy gun was later found in a student's locker, police said.
Officers, including a SWAT team, responded to Elmont Memorial High School after a woman told authorities she saw what might have been a lime green gun inside a teen's backpack at the school, said Inspector Kenneth Lack, a Nassau County police spokesman.
SitesWeLove
- Site Map
- |
- Staff
- |
- Terms of Service
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Trademarks
- |
- Advertise With Us
- |
- About Our Ads
- |
- AOL Downloads
- |
- Contact Us
- |
© Copyright 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Aol Family
ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
12-18-2008 @ 2:41PM
School said...I only let her stay home "faking" when I too want to stay home from work!
Reply
12-18-2008 @ 4:52PM
Good Faker said...I get away with it a lot. I only miss a few days here and there, usually when I don't feel like getting up. I rarely ever get sick ((knock on wood)) so I need those sick days. Usually I fake it when I don't have an assignment done. My parents are usually pretty cool about it. They know I fake it so they play along. They tell me no going outside no computer etc. so I won't want to stay home for a while.
Reply
12-18-2008 @ 6:25PM
David Robinson said...Often children do not want to go to school because something is troubling them; either at school EG bullying or at home so that they want to stay home to keep an eye on things. I was in the latter group with my father gone to the war and mother very stressed.
David
Reply
12-18-2008 @ 7:30PM
SKL said...I got smart in the first grade when I said "I feel better now" and my mom said "then get dressed and go to school."
After that, my siblings and I conspired to invent realistic vomit - Wheaties are great for this - and learned how best to fake symptoms - and we managed to get out of school often enough to keep life interesting. Not that my mom didn't call our bluff plenty of times. The rule was: you had to have fairly convincing vomit or a fairly high fever, and if you stayed home, you had to stay indoors until the next morning with no access to TV or the piano. Also, after my mom got a job downtown, we had to go to the babysitter that we didn't like until we were old enough to stay home alone. All in all, there was enough incentive to drag our butts to school most days.
Not sure how it will be with my kids. I can definitely see them conspiring to fool me. Not sure yet if I they are sharp enough to do it.
Reply
12-18-2008 @ 7:50PM
ninainindia said...My mom always took my temperature and if it was normal the chance of staying home was small.
Reply
12-19-2008 @ 12:30AM
rockinthehouse said...When i fake, my mom usually lets me stay home. my siblings get sick more often than i do, so they miss more school. i was not actually sick one day last year. Also, when i fake, i need a break to re-gain control. ya know, figure out what i want to do about the current friend situation, get a better grip on that science project.
Reply
1-10-2009 @ 7:47AM
agentsarahjane said...I give my kid the "Nanny McFee" treatment if I suspect she's faking it- she's not allowed to get out of bed or watch TV the onyl times she can get out is for bathroom. (If you've seen the movie with Emma Thompson, you know what I'm talking about!) It always makes her think twice about faking illnesses when she's truly bored in bed and can't watch her favorite shows - once her ruse is up she has to get dressed and go to school. When she's truly sick - or was sick the night before- , she will sleep all day.
Reply