DD is scared of getting a bug

[crimbocrazydazy]

DD is 5 and is scared of practically everything at the moment. She went to the loo a couple of days ago and it was a bit loose, it upset her a bit but that was that....she then overhead her Grandma say yesterday that thousands of people are going down with that tummy bug virus that makes you sick and diarrhoea - this has resulted in her holding in her motions ever since as she is frightened to go. Her teacher told me today she has been upset because she had tummy ache but didn't think it was serious enough to call me.

When she got home tonight she said she had tummy ache and so we sat for half an hour which resulted in her crying her eyes out and me getting slightly impatient because she won't do it. What made it worse was she did a little bit and it was runny which made her more scared.

I am now wondering if she does have the bug or just not going has made her a bit loose, just not sure.

Just wondered if anyone else had these kind of problems and any advice.

Poor thing. I think you just need to explain that if she does have a tummy bug she needs to let it all come out - that's how she'll get better. Maybe sit with her and hold her hand and try and distract her?

I'm sure you've done all this already!

never had this problem, but my kids love looking at pictures of real tummy bugs. maybe a google image search for bacteria so she can see them and she isnt imaging spiders or something horrid. and explain a tummy bug isnt exactly a 'bug' like an insect. goodness knows what goes through kids heads, she could be imagining all sorts of things

Never thought of that JJ, when her Grandma mentioned the bug there was a front page picture of the bacteria and tbh it was ever since she saw that she was frightened.

hmm, does she know how big they are? ds 1 & 2 are quite interested in this stuff so know a fair bit (they sit looking at the pictures in my uni text books). i suppose she could be thinking anything, some pictures are a bit gruesome i suppose, you could try to find her a 'nice' one and explain how tiny they are. i find my kids are less frightened of things they understand

You were ring Jinglingoblin she was afraid of the bacteria picture, I told her that it was very small but was very unlikely that she would catch it anyway. It seemed to put her mind at ease a little and hopefully she will do it now.

Fingers crossed

Trouble is she is exactly the same as me when I was a little girl, I worried about everything.