From the article: Is Your Tween Too Sick for School?
Have you caught your child faking sick to get out of going to school? How did you handle the situation? Did you let your tween stay home, assuming he needed a day of rest? Or did you send him anyway? Has your child admitted to putting one over on you - pretending she was sick when she really wasn't? Share your experiences and your solutions. Share Your Experiences
Sick of School
- In both sixth and seventh grade my son has had bouts of "stomach aches" in an attempt to avoid school. I determined the mystery stomach aches stem from anxiety of some kind. The school nurse would call around the same time each day which told me he was avoiding a certain class (or person). Last year it turned out he was being bullied and was faking sick to come home before school got out in order to avoid being taunted by older kids on the walk home. When he finally talked about what was happening, we made a report to the school and worked on alternatives: he could call his dad for a ride, he could walk home with a friend or take a different route. This year the stomach aches became a way to avoid boredom. The school nurse - who dubbed my son a "frequent flyer" - worked out a system with me for determining his level of "illness" and most times sent him back to class. Recognizing his anxiety and communicating with my child and school staff helped us address the underlying issues.
- —wendimac
