With three kids in primary school this year, it’s not unusual for my day to start with a child or two dragging their heels and complaining about vague sore tummies and obscure headaches. Actually, I didn’t need to start with the “three kids in school” line – it’s always Max. At least three times a week. It’s a source of pride for me that he’s only missed three days at school this entire year.
Pride comes after much angst, of course.
This morning when he started up (and let me tell you, he’s had so much practice this kid could sub in for the John Hurt death scene in Alien) I just didn’t have it in me to fight him. So I simply said to him, “Look Max, you can either stay at home sick today or you can just get a free day off on Monday, it’s up to you. Sick now or day off later?”
He chose to fake-sick it. By 9:25 am he was begging me to take him to school.
“I’m well, I’m WELL,” he screeched. “You can’t keep a well boy home from school.”
“This was your choice, Max,” I reminded him.
“But it’s not like a real sick day,” he whined. “I thought it was a real sick day.”
“Nope, a fake sick day is very different to a real sick day and, no surprise here, a mother always knows who needs what kind of day.”
A mother always knows.
What do you do when your kids try a fake sick on?