Son being sick/feeling sick before school every morning!

[Smowball]

My son started secondary school in September, and around the same time, in fact slightly before this, he started to feel sick whenever he woke up, and sometimes was actually sick. After a week or so if this he was seen by the doctor who found nothing wrong. Still it persisted so he had blood tests, eye tests, kept food diaries and still nothing came to light. This only tends to happen on school days although admittedly he was sick last wkend out of the blue. He is adamant there is nothing wrong at school. I have got the school to monitor him discreetly and they say he is a happy, popular child and very bright. Still it goes on. This week there was no school Monday for inset day and he was fine. Schhol on tuesday and he is in tears sayinng he feels really sick but managed to get him to go in. No school yesterday due to strikes and he is fine. This morning he is sobbing with headache and being physically sick to the point I had to keep him home. He slept solid till noon(very unusual) and is now fine! I am at the end of my tether as to what on earth is wrong. He has now cut out breakfast totally because of this and is as thin as a rake. Any help would be gratefully received!!

[cazzz1975]

I would think it was stress related still, he may be fine at school but things do change markedly from primary to secondary, he may still be adjusting to the more intense pace of work and the more independent environment.

[missprim]

It sounds like he is nervous of going to school. My granddaughter was like this for a long time when she first started school being physically sick yet once she got into school she finally settled but every new term when she goes into a new class she is sick again.If your son can't explain to you why he's like this, perhaps you should have a word with a kindly GP.
Hope you and your son can get past this. x

[Smowball]

To be honest I have spoken to the school several times about the lack of homework and the disruptive behaviour of a group of pupils in most classes and the school say they are dealing with this. There isnt much homework and the year head called an emergency meeting and says she has addressed this. But it is getting so sillly, and causing havoc with work for me.

[China Doll]

Wouldn't more homework just make him feel more pressured if his sickness is stress related though?

[Smowball]

Hi China, re homework - it was a general parent complaint, not just me. They were setting maybe 1-2 pieces a week compared to all the other schools which get 1-2 a day, and the school admitted that they were not setting the right amount. Having said that, the meeting was only on Monday so things havent changed yet!

[cazzz1975]

give it time with the homework, in year 7 at this stage its about settling in, i would imagine his class being disruptive would affect him and i would be more concerned about that than homework right now.

[China Doll]

I was more getting at that if he is already stressed by school for some reason then adding homework in to the mix might make him put more pressure on himself. Maybe you and he could sit down and talk with his form tutor (do they even have those any more?!), and see if there's anything the school could do to support him as it does sound like it might be nerves/stress whatever. I know my tummy goes in to knots if I have horrible things to do the next day!

[starone]

My brother used to get terrible attacks of migraine with headaches and sickness all due to being bullied at school.

[Smowball]

He is getting headaches as well. Am not mentioning the homework thing anymore. Re the disruptive behaviour, I have spoken to the form tutor and the year head twice each. They say that some pupils take longer to settle in than others, but there are kids pinging elastic bands in each others faces, running around the class, sticking notes on teachers backs...... I have even looked at swapping schools but my husband says that you will always get kids like that wherever you go

[cazzz1975]

its not really the kids that are the problem here, its the lack of dicipline that the school is using, most kids will behave when they have to, its obviously too easy to misbehave and that is something the school needs to look at

[cazzz1975]

for the sake of the rest of the class and the kids who want to learn

[ummmm]

I get sick in the morning. Always have done except on days I can wake naturally. It's worse if I wake up and then doze back off...then I feel really sick.

[Old_Geezer]

Maybe he's pregnant ;-)

It does sound psychological. Would the traditional anti-stress stuff help at all. Meditation, or even just a period of quiet calm first thing in the morning. Or even a bit of exercise, jogging for 30 minutes before breakfast maybe ? Or else there are things in the chemist that make claims about calming one down, not that I've personal experience.

I'm unsure skipping breakfast is a wise idea. The body & brain needs fuel after the night long fast to work at it's best. Try to get him to have something light, and then build up to something more substantial gradually.

As for homework, when I was a kid my opinion was that if the school wasn't capable of teaching me what I needed to know during the day then why was I expected to do more hours in the evening. I'm sure such self motivating activity is useful character building stuff, but I can't say I'd be impressed had my mother tried to increase my workload outside of school. Perhaps ease off on that ?

If I think of anything else I come back to the thread.

[Smowball]

Agree the discipline thing is the school, they say they ar now putting specific pupils on report and getting senior teachers to sit in on the worst lessons to see where the teachers are going wrong. Breakfast - he refuses point blank. I have tried cereal bars for him to eat on way to school but they are still in his bag at the end of the day, as is his packed lunch 50% of the time. He says its a vicious circle - he feels sick and so cant face food, then feels sick because he hasnt eaten.

[ummmm]

I know that feeling...

[Davethedog]

Snowball - Ask him if hes being bullied. If its happening it won't be in front of teachers or staff. Tell him you can take him out of that school and he doesen't have to put up with it.

[Smowball]

He swears on his life that he isnt being bullied, and the teachers havent seen anything so dont see how else I can check that he is or not. I have seen him go in and come out of school a few times and he does seem to be popular, laughing and joking with kids of all ages.

[ummmm]

It really could be the fact that he's not a morning person.

[Davethedog]

Has your husband talked to him - Maybe he would tell a bloke?

[Davethedog]

Sorry Husband/partner?