Can You Tell When Your Child is Faking It?

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

03 Oct 2008 11:00 PM

Does your son typically complain of a stomachache on spelling test Fridays? Or do notice that your daughter usually begins hacking up a lung on the Monday following a long weekend spent partying with friends?

Unless a child has the obvious symptoms of a bad flu--high temp, chills, projectile vomiting--then parents are often left to use their own instincts to weed out the fakers from the truly feverish.

In some cases it can be a tricky task. My own daughter has been sick with a bad cold for nearly two weeks. However, this is a child who is so deathly afraid of being administered oral medication (she will make herself throw up before the spoon even touches her lips) that she will deny feeling sick at all. After watching her undergo painful rounds of shots to cure her last ear infection (the doctor suggested going this route after she forcibly threw up four doses of oral antibiotics) I started experimenting with recipes to disguise any and all medications so she can go back to taking oral doses of some types of prescriptions.

This tactic works now because she is 4 years old. It'll be interesting to see what transpires in the next few years when she learns that being sick can translate into a school-free day. She's already learned that when she is sick mommy will spend countless hours rubbing her back and reading her books. (Of course, this doesn't negate the whole medicine drama, which overrides any comfort she may get from my undivided attention.)

Most parents will tell you that they know their child better than anyone and can sniff out a feigned sore throat a mile away. However, if you struggle with making the right call on whether you should keep your child home or send him to school consider consulting with the professionals or visit the American Academy of Pediatrics website. The site features a list of signs indicating when a child should be kept home, including fever (temperature above 100.4 Fahrenheit), vomiting, diarrhea, persistent pain or a bad, wet cough. It also includes interesting notes on how parents should be sensitive to other causes of pain and discomfort such as anxiety, depression, or other issues.

What tactics do you use to determine if your child is faking an illness?

Michele Cheplic writes about red-hot celebrities in POP CULTURE, fiery topics in PARENTS, sizzling recipes in FOOD, calorie burning exercises in FITNESS, and hot new kid-friendly crafts in FUN. Check out all of her articles here.

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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Samual (11722) 04 Oct 2008 07:33 AM

Unless he looks awful and is being ill, Mikey has to go to school, we tell him if he is poorly his teacher will send him home, so far he has never had to be sent home.

Dale Harcombe (10327) 05 Oct 2008 11:11 PM

My two never had a hope of faking illness. Their faces gave them away every time. When they were sick it was SO obvious.

swtuthmommy3 (130) 06 Oct 2008 10:02 AM

My daughter really doesn't get a chance to fake illness to get out of school. Since my husband and I both work and our daughter is not old enough to stay home by herself, she goes to school even when she's tired or is a little sick. I'll take her home though, or will stay home with her if she has a fever and/or is throwing up.

Michele Cheplic (37339) 06 Oct 2008 02:11 PM

That's interesting Dale b/c I can always tell when my dd has a sore throat b/c she winces every time she swallows. She denies it hurts though b/c she doesn't want to take medicine.

Michele Cheplic (37339) 06 Oct 2008 02:13 PM

swtuthmommy3 I bet it kills you to have to send her to school when she isn't feeling well. Then again, you have to make money to live... it's a tough call!

swtuthmommy3 (130) 07 Oct 2008 02:37 PM

Yes, it is a tough call. Fortunately at my daughter's school she can lay down if she's really tired; and I can sign her up to get cold medicine administered to her during the day. This aspect helps a lot when I just can not stay home with her when she has a cold. Also since her school is very small, she gets individual attention.