Help! How do I get my 11 year old ds to go to school when he's malingering!!!

[mrszimmerman]

two days this week he's got out the door and has suddenly buckled with 'nausea' blaming breakfast or whatever.
The school is lovely, he's been very happy there but I feel such an idiot for letting him get away with it for the first day and now he's done it for a second day missing out important yr6 work, I'm just furious but trying to be calm.
I know dh is going to hit the roof that I've been played for a sucker again.
But it's difficult to get a great big lad to school when he's feigning such illness.
Or maybe he isn't quite right... how do you know what to do?
I thought if I didn't manage to get him in at lunchtime I'd go in at the end of the day on my own and try to speak to the teacher to double check that there isn't something going on which I don't know about, I've checked with ds of course and school seems fine...
sigh...
Any empathetic advice would be hugely appreciated

you make the day totally boring. remove all electronics from his room, and say that if he is unwell, he will need to stay in his bed only coming out to use the bathroom.
drop him a sandwich and glass of milk for lunch and leave him alone.

If I'm unsure if one of my children is unwell I send them to school and tell them if it's that bad then get the school to ring me!
I've never had a phone call yet in this situation and the DC have come out of school feeling fine.
Obviously if they are genuinely ill then I will keep them home and if they start to try and get the day off school too often then I have gone in and had a quiet word with their teacher to see if anything is wrong.

Yes I'm doing that, he can read but that's all. Unfortunately (in this instance) he loves reading!
But I'm going to make a bid for his going in at 1.15.

Thanks for the advice

How did it go?

If he like reading so much, then take all his books away as well.

I administer a spoonful of Calpol or similar magic all-purpose cure-all, take him to school and add the instructions 'if you still feel unwell by break-time ask school to call me'. I never get a call.

My mother always used to say that if we wanted and needed a pyjamas day, that would be of much more benefit than yet another day in school. Didn't stop us going on to be successful and hard working adults :)

I would check and see if he has not done homework or had a row with a mate etc as nerves can make them feel quite ill. If not then he is on the sofa with a blanket where you can keep an eye on him but no books, tv etc give him some school related work if he is 'well enough' to do something ie research or write about history/geog subject they are doing in class.

I have this problem too. My friend says her rule is her children only get a day off if they have a temperature, vomiting or diarrhea (don't know how you check that one).

I'm a bit softer, but usually follow the advice others have given - send them in, and the school can ring me. If dc wants to stay in bed I will get her up for breakfast and try and find something distracting to talk about i.e shopping trip - if she really ok then she usually swallows the bait and picks up, if not, then I know she's not right.

If she has a day off and seems fairly bright - then I would probably make sure she went in the next day. Hope that helps.