DS, 2.5 says he 'hurts' in various places - normal phase?

[matana]

DS has been saying for a couple of weeks now that he 'hurts' either in his tummy button, his finger, his foot etc. Outwardly he seems fine and in between saying these things he doesn't appear to be in pain and seems happy on the whole with the occasional toddler blip. He has gone off food he used to love though and doesn't seem to eat with the enjoyment he used to. His appetite has definitely decreased. I think i've pretty much decided to get him checked out anyway, but wondered if this might be an age phase because he's just beginning to understand about feelings and emotions and labelling them etc. His appetite has always waxed and wained but the types of food he eats (everything!) has always been the same. Could this just be a phase, or a way of getting attention. He is not starved of attention, but i do wonder if he's beginning to try it on so he can have cuddles with mummy on the sofa rather than me go to work.

Anyone?

May just be a bit of a phase or an awareness of feelings and pains etc as you suggested. Ds1 has been through a couple of growth spurts where he had leg pains, particularly at night, that were quite bad. So if your ds is complaining of leg pains then it might be associated with a growth spurt.

My dd, 22 months, did exactly the same very recently for a few weeks. I figured it was an effort to delay/avoid bedtime as it usually happened around then but could have been tiredness (she is a v poor sleeper). I did the whole "kiss it better" thing and then just distraction/ignore. She hasn't done it in the last couple of weeks. No change to appetite that I noticed.