Greetings, all!

Let’s face it, when it comes to getting sick, we try our best to turn and run in the opposite direction. However, vomiting is not always avoidable. It’s a fear commonly experienced with children of all ages, including my 25-year-old self. But let’s talk about ways to overcome this fear, and how to give your child a positive mind-set when it comes to getting sick.

Through AboutKidsHealth, Patrick J. McGrath, OC, PhD, FRSC, offers some great advice when a client asks the question:

My 11-year-old son had the flu and vomited. He was very upset by this and now is avoiding foods that he thinks might make him vomit. He does not want to hear anything about people being sick or about the foods he avoids. He thinks he is going to vomit often but has only vomited once or twice. What can I do?

Dr. Pat replies with four things one can do to help their son/daughter overcome this phobia.

1. Tell him/her that vomiting and feeling like vomiting are unpleasant, but they protect the body.
2. Downplay his/her concerns about throwing up. He/she isn’t likely to vomit and it won’t hurt them anyway.
3. Insist he/she eat small amounts of their feared foods. How much they eat doesn’t matter. Help him/her face what they are afraid of.
4. Don’t avoid speaking about people being sick or the foods he/she avoids.

Other ideas that us at Bell Family like include:

1. Have your child sleep in a sleeping bag next to your bed to calm him/her that you are near by.
2. Have a pretend pill (candy) and call it the “no getting sick pill” that he/she can take before bedtime.
3. Chart his/her sleep; every night they sleep well they get a star.
4. Eating; make sure he/she eats at night, but try smaller portions before bed so their belly isn’t full and can be more sensitive to anxiety making them feel like they will throw up. 

For the full article on AboutKidsHealth, click here. 

Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell!