How to Tell if my Child is Faking an Illness

First of all, it's always necessary to take your children to a pediatrician or medical specialist when they say they are unwell. This will be the clearest and most obvious way to determine if they have any disease or illness or, on the contrary, if they are faking it.

If the child reiterates that they're ill but the pediatrician's physical examination did not reveal any problems, it might also be a good idea to get a blood test. Some common illnesses that cause tiredness, fatigue or apathy, such as anemia, are not obvious unless you get them examined.

In many cases, your child might not want to go to the doctor because they are scared of being caught out, and the illness will appear to subside for a moment. In this way, you can start to tell if your children are trying to trick you and fake an illness in order to get out of doing something they don't want to do.

Similarly, another fact which can help you tell if your child is faking an illness is to examine the time when they most often say that they feel sick. Many children claim to be ill to try and avoid classes, exams or even extracurricular activities. Therefore, the common supposed symptoms appear first thing in the morning or on certain days when they have to do something they don't want to do.

Not wanting to go to school can be an indication of abuse or bullying at school, so you should be aware of other symptoms and warning signs that might suggest this type of problem. You will need to speak to your child and then the school to ensure you follow the right course of action.

The duration of the supposed symptoms can also help you to tell if your child is pretending to be sick. Make sure you check how long they say they are unwell for. For example, if they are sick when they get up and you let them stay home but after a while they seem to have forgotten that they are sick, then maybe they aren't so sick after all.

Similarly, you can try and test them to see if they are faking an illness or to see if something is genuinely hurting. If they claim to have stomach pain, for example, make them their favorite meal and offer them a tempting desert; if they agree to eat it, you have reason to doubt the credibility of their illness.

If your child pretends to be ill regularly, you need to talk to their teachers to investigate what might be going on. If necessary, a psychologist or specialist could help you to try to bring an end to feigned pains and imaginary illnesses.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

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