Can a 2 year old make herself sick?

[prufrock]

DD (2.5) was ill last week with a tummy bug - she threw up everything for 36 hours, had a temp and was very miserable. This co-incided with dh being away, so she got lots of extra cuddles, and slept in bed with me.
Dh is now back, and on Friday night she slept in her own bed - it took a good hour of whinging to get her to go to sleep. Last night was similar, but at 9 pm she came to the top of the stairs to say she felt sick. I took her to the bathroom, and she didn't seem ill - she was asking what a new box of medised was and was quite chirpy. Afer a few minutes I said that if she wasn't going to be sick we had better go back to bed - whereupon she proptly threw up. Afterwards she was fine - jumping on her bed, asking for more milk, and generally playing up for another 30 minutes before finally going to sleep. Am I being incredibly cynical to suspect that she deliberately threw up so she could sleep in my bed (immediately afterwards she said "My poorly Mummy, sleep in your bed") And if so what on earth do I do about it?

well, it's a hard on isn't it? especially since she had just been ill....fwiw, my both my kids had reflux and grew out of it. However, when they were around 2, if they really wanted to piss me off, they could 'make' themselves throw up. I doubt they could do it now - but shortly after they had outgrown the reflux, they seemed to be able to 'remember' how to throw up and could produce it on demand.

I found the only way to get round it was to completely ignore the behaviour (yes I know, easier said than done) and also afterwards, to emphasise how horrible it was being sick - i.e. get them to help me clean up (get cloths, not wipe it up). It's a nasty habit to break. You have to break the cycle of being sick = getting attention!

It may be that she can recall how to throw up (and she will probably forget how to do it quite quickly hopefully!). I would, in advance of a repeat, tell her that if she is sick again, you want her to sleep in her own bed because that is better for her. Then if she does it, just ignore it (!), get her changed and put her in bed and hopefully she'll get the message! But only if you think it really isn't related to her illness (because milk can make their tummies feel poorly after they've had these bugs).

hard on!! obviously meant hard one!!

One of my friends DS could do projectile vomits when his mum got ready to go to work so that he hoped it would delay her he was 2½ years.

She used to clean it up very matter of factly once she got wise to what he was doing and as it meant she still went to work he worked out it didn't make any difference. So he stopped.

It was a very hard time for her though.

I think what foxinsocks says is a good idea. good luck