Little Lies

Sydney has been telling me for a little over a week now that 'her tummy hurts' every time she's sat down to eat-like as soon as the food first hits her mouth. She's acted like she was really in pain-and i've believed her, for the most part. I've racked my brain for days thinking of possible things that might be causing her such anguish. I called the doctor on the second day telling her of the problem and she immediately asked if we'd given her any meds for the tummy aches. My answer, being no, she gave me just the suggestion i'd expected...pepto or immodium, tums, etc... and to call her back in a few days if it wasnt better. Well sydney HATES any medicine. I got her to try pepto after an hour of bickering and she spit it all over me (in the face, no less) as soon as it hit her lips saying she didnt like it. And suddenly, her tummy didnt hurt anymore.

Well it has continued since then, every meal and coincidentially every time i needed her to do something that she didnt want to do.

About day 3 i started to wonder to myself if maybe there was some sort of attention grasping motive behind it all. I feel horrible for even letting that thought travel thru my head...but... i just get that sense from the tone of her whining and her behavior during the fits and her demeanor in general...not to mention how it suddenly stops hurting as soon as I start the medicine battle or tell her we're going to the doctor on friday afternoon when i'm off work. (She likes her doctor, so it shouldnt be an issue to go there).

Well lastnight, again, after a week of this...she told me that it was hurting again. I pleaded again for over an hour with her whining and carrying on and darn near forced pepto down her. It was at that point that she says, out of nowhere, that her tummy hasnt been hurting all along. what..?

I did keep my composure with her, but i was probably visibly shocked at her statement. I explained to her the story of the boy who cried wolf (again) and how i'd never really know that she was hurting if she kept this up. I also explained to her that she wouldnt be getting any stickers (good behavior aside) for atleast 2 days for lying all this time and if that kept her for getting her behavior chart reward at the end of the month that i was sorry, and that she had to learn what 'consequences' are. She took it like a pro, suprisingly. She gave me yes ma'ams and even an 'im sorry for lying' and really changed her tune after that.

I then sat down with her and made her eat a real nutritional dinner since she's not had much more than pedialyte popsicles, crackers and crushed ice in a good few days now. (the fact that eating well is a regular battle aside)

So my dilema now is...im still worried that maybe she said she wasnt really hurting in order to avoid the medicine. She's not a liar...i mean we dont normally have issues like this; so now i'm beating myself up question whether she might still be having tummy troubles.

I'm also very disappointed in her because either way this scenario plays out she's told a lie to us. (Either lying about telling fibs or lying about it not hurting now)...just dont know what to do here...

I know 'imagination' is normal at this age....but this is a little much either way.