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How to tell if your sick kid is faking it

Posted on Nov 19th 2007 9:15AM by Bethany Sanders

Filed Under: Motivation, Nutrition & Supplements

Cold and flu season is definitely gearing up to be in full swing, but what if you have a nagging suspicion that your child isn't really sick? Health experts say that up to 10% of kids "fake it" at least once over the course of their childhood. CBS News has a few tips to help you decide if your child's illness is real, or if there is something else going on:

Signs of Cold and Flu

cough -- dry or productive
runny or stuffy nose
fever
red throat
body aches
fatigue
napping

Signs of "Faking It"

symptoms that don't have staying power
perking up after the call to school has been made
vague symptoms that move around the body (but be careful, because sometimes symptoms are vague)

Keep in mind that just because a child isn't really sick doesn't mean that something isn't wrong. Children may be avoiding school for a serious reason, like bullying, anxiety, depression, or high-pressure to succeed. If you find your child is faking on a regular basis, it's time to get to the bottom of the issue.

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Tags: bullying, cold and flu, ColdAndFlu, kids anxiety, kids faking sick, KidsAnxiety, KidsFakingSick, teen depression, TeenDepression

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Delanie 11-28-2007 @ 9:35PM

I think this article is great! I just had the flu and now I know if my kids have caught it or if they have not. This helps a lot!

Brenda 11-28-2007 @ 10:17PM

Here's something to try if you want to keep your children from "faking" sick. I raised 4 children and they rarely missed school because of a fake illness.

I never really "doubted" them...I just told them that if they were too sick to go to school they had to stay in bed all day. (No tv, no video games etc. Only books and or homework...I always called the school and made sure that I got that days work so they wouldn't miss anything.) After a boring day in bed...they only stayed home if they were really sick.