NOURISHING A SICK CHLD

WRITER: PRINCIPAL GREG FRESCOLN

The following question was submitted and deals with health-related issues: How sick does my child have to be for me to keep him or her home? In other words, at what point is “I don’t feel good” not just an excuse.

Students frequently make statements in regard to their health. It is difficult for parents to know when this is crossing the line from being an actual illness into the realm of being a psychosomatic symptom. Some illnesses are real and some are not, but because the child worries so much, it can actually make him or her ill. If your child is complaining of an ailment, it is easier and safer to first rule out a medical condition.

Reference to a vague illness or statements of not feeling well may be the child’s way of creating an open door for conversation about an issue that is troubling him or her. It may be as minor as being self-conscious about some aspect of his or her own personality or body or something that can be intensely disturbing as bullying or sexual abuse.

Try engaging in a discussion with your child. When you child opens up to you, it relieves the internal pressure he or she has been under. The “symptoms” can miraculously disappear and the child forgets he was “sick.”

If the behavior repeats itself or the parent does not notice a decrease in frequency, it may be necessary to seek out assistance from a certified or licensed professional, such as a counselor or psychologist. Never take the child’s “illness” for granted. It usually is an indication of something else that may be going on in his life.