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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

How do you tell

27 replies

noddyholder · 23/01/2012 08:58

whether they are ill or just winging it? My ds got up late today saying I feel rough feel sick no temp headacheetc. We were out yesterday he was buggy racing with my brother and dad and then all went for lunch. Got home at 3 and he went out skate boarding and seemed fine. Said he felt I'll last night but stayed up eating sausage rolls a whole packet and choc biscuits etc. Now moaning about college! So much harder to tell at this age just lots of sighting and moaning but he looks ok. I think he is knackered that's it!

OP posts:
jalopy · 23/01/2012 09:02

Send him in. No temp/no case for a sick day.

Sparklingbrook · 23/01/2012 09:03

DS1 is 12 but we have this a lot. I agree it's hard to tell, especially as he's not liking it much at High School, and he's not a morning person. Sad

Original poster
noddyholder · 23/01/2012 09:04

Sighing sorry iPad. Think he has gone back to bed am suspicious he hasn't done homework or something. If he goes to bed I won't ring them he can deal with it!

OP posts:
Original poster
noddyholder · 23/01/2012 09:05

Ds is17 and I just can't tell either! Not a noting person as well so even harder. Dp has a day off today and we were looking forward to it but it has got off t a bad start Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
noddyholder · 23/01/2012 09:06

Morning not noting!

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 23/01/2012 09:06

Oh god, I have years of this then.......

notjustme · 23/01/2012 09:09

My method is to make staying off so much less attractive - i.e., 'Well if you're ill you'll have to stay off school but you can't stay here because I've got to go to work and you can't be home alone in case you are ill/need help so you'll have to go to (insert most hated and boring relative's name here) for the day so they can keep an eye on you'.

That has never failed to create the response of 'oh fine, I'll GO to school then, if I'm ill at school it's YOUR fault, you don't CARE about me' and then the sound of an elephant stomping around and leaving for school. But I have never, not once, had her sent back home from school since using this method, and she never comes home from school still complaining of feeling ill, so I think I have got a working method myself!

Sparklingbrook · 23/01/2012 09:10

That's my DS to a tee notjustme. Grin

notjustme · 23/01/2012 09:11

Also, if you're a SAHM it makes my method less easy, so I'd change that to 'I've got to go and visit (said boring relative) and do shopping, and x/y/z which you will have to come along for as you can't be left at home in case you choke on your own vomit, etc etc'.

Original poster
noddyholder · 23/01/2012 09:12

He has just gone with a pathetic bye.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 23/01/2012 09:13

'And if you have a headache as you say you do you musn't play PS3 or Ipod or go on the Laptop because you will make it worse' Wink

notjustme · 23/01/2012 09:13

Sparklingbrook - this method has been learnt after many many years of dealing with the mysterious '3.45pm illness' that suddenly cures itself as soon as there is no chance of being sent to school!

Sparklingbrook · 23/01/2012 09:13

Noddyholder 1 Noddyholder DS 0

notjustme · 23/01/2012 09:14

Exactly Sparklingbrook - 'if you are this ill then you need to be in bed, at the very most reading a book, and certainly not sitting at your desk playing on your PC as if you can sit at your desk at home you can sit at one at school!

jalopy · 23/01/2012 09:15

Agree. Total electrical ban if they stay at home. Tell them it aids recovery.

GetOrfMoiiLand · 23/01/2012 09:15

lol at pathetic bye.

This is what I have with dd. She is a hypochondriac, always has a headache or fit of the vapours about something. I always send her to school like the hard faced cow that I am. I say if she is ill she has to stay in bed (but I take the blackberry, remote control, laptop and ipod because it is bad for her head to be overstimulated. She also can't go to any clubs in the evening). The thought of a day of boredom with not even Loose Women to pass the time normally gets her up and out.

She just hates the mornings really.

GetOrfMoiiLand · 23/01/2012 09:16

x posts with everyone re electrical ban Grin

TotallyLaLa · 23/01/2012 10:48
Grin This made me laugh so much (sorry Blush) Last week my DS (16) told me he had a toothache one morning (he'd been to the dentist the day before to get a tooth capped. He knew I was out this particular morning (only getting my nails done - it's the one thing I treat myself to every 3 weeks!!) However, all morning and I do me ALL I was getting texts from him (how his teachers never saw I don't know Hmm) basically saying his mouth was hurting, then he felt sick, then he had a headache blah blah blah. I told him to go to the school office if he was that bad and they would ring me. Texts continued....escalating to ...... wait for it ..... come and get me I feel so bad!!! I replied, again, no, go to the school office they will ring me. After lunchtime - ta daaa - no more texts. That evening after school he was about to go out with his friend when I casually mentioned that he must feel so much better and I got a very stroppy reply that I didn't care, he was in agony and all I had to do was take a neurofen to school!!! Funny enough not one of the 100's of texts sent asked for a neurofen (as I pointed out to DS) and he flounced (flounce is the only way I can describe it Confused) out of the door, was late home for dinner at which point said dinner had gone cold and hey presto, illness had magically gone!!! I asked him if he felt better after his little protest, I just got a grunt in return :) The moral of this story with my DS - he goes to school unless he is unconscious or bleeding! Anything else, the school will ring me if they feel he needs to come home :o
Original poster
noddyholder · 23/01/2012 13:50

My ds is currently upstairs asleep Came back sick as a dog! Shock

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 23/01/2012 14:04

noddyholder 0 noddyholder DS 1 Shock

Original poster
noddyholder · 23/01/2012 14:05
Grin
OP posts:
BerniW · 23/01/2012 16:22

No way, he really was ill!!

Had this quite a few times with ds2 (now 16). I usually stand very firm and force him into school, but did have him throw up all over the corridor at school and got the "told you so's" when I had to pick him up and had to watch the caretaker hoover up his sick!

Also made him go to his work experience job in a canteen (which he was absolutely hating) when he claimed he had diarrhea! I know, very dodgy what with food hygiene and all, but I really didn't believe him. He got sent home and asked "to not come back" after lollopping around the kitchen feeling ill all day. Could have been worse though, at least he didn't give everyone the runs!

BerniW · 23/01/2012 16:24

....as far as I know...!!

Original poster
noddyholder · 23/01/2012 16:26

Up now looks ok to me Hmm.Watching deal or no deal...

OP posts:
IdontknowwhyIcare · 23/01/2012 19:14

In this house, if youre sick its in bed all day (went dont have anything elctrical in bedrooms) and if youre home but not in bed then we work to the school timetable, you know next pages in the book and if we dont have the book then I will find something appropriate from the internet, never fear. Once he had to build my Ikea stool for his DT lesson, taking the rubbish to the skip across the street constited PE lesson. Its a hard life in this house for sick people ;-) and no it doesnt happen often.

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