DS tummy ache WWYD?

[Veryoldandtired]

So my DS7 has been complaining about his tummy all last week. It was their nativity play today so he was really out of sorts, he was crying over nothing and having full blown emotional meltdown. After the play has finished he was in good spirits but remembered that tomorrow he needed to turn in a poem with 4 paragraphs. It’s their school work not home work. So for 3 hours he was writing it, rewriting, tantruming & screaming. He went to bed at 9.30 completely exhausted. At 10 he woke up crying that his belly hurts so bad he’s about to throw up. He had really watery diarrhoea, was shaking etc. so I told him he’s not going to school tomorrow. He’s now absolutely peacefully asleep, snuggled up it a worry in the world.

Now, I don’t want to encourage him running away from school problems like this & I wonder if I did the right thing by letting him stay at home. On the other hand, he’s 7… and so worried about things and so exhausted he made himself ill. Surely he needs a little break?

I would keep him off tomorrow. No question. He's still very little and he sounds overwhelmed and exhausted. There's nothing wrong with letting a child have an occasional respite day when they really need it. You'll get MNers telling you it's sending the wrong message and will lead to an inexorable spiral into a life of indolence and moral turpitude, but...he's 7. He's knackered and worked himself up into a state. Let him have a pyjama day.

I also would keep him off. He’s had diarrhoea so you have an excuse. He just sounds totally over wrought and stressed.

If he's got watery diarrhoea then sounds like he's got some sort of bug and not just tired or overwhelmed. I'd keep him off too but would keep an eye on future behavior so not to set a precedent.

I’d definitely keep him off. Anxiety can cause loose stools poor lad. Any chance he’s neurodiverse? Just that it sounds very much like my 2 who are Autistic & ADHD.

Stress and worry can cause diarrhoea. But he's only 7 so I don't think it matters if he misses school over the poem or not. It's quite a hard piece of work in many ways for a lot of children of that age.

My little one would act up emotionally when he caught a tummy bug. No other illness would do it as he would either go quiet or sleepy with fever or cold but tummy bugs would turn him into a crying monster. Keep him off until he feels better.

Thanks everyone! Your responses made me breathe out as i was worried I’m setting the wrong precedent here.

@SendMeHomeNow I wondered that so I took him to a psychologist at the beginning of the year. They said he’s not clinically neurodivergent but there are certainly some traits so we’ve been doing some play therapy with him.

@bloodynaps that’s interesting! Never thought to watch out and see if it correlates.