The Way Toward Health

"I do not mean that ill children should not be treated with kindness, and perhaps a bit of special attention - but the reward should be given for the child’s recovery, and efforts should be made to keep the youngster’s routine as normal as possible....Children, however, may be quite conscious of the fact that they willed themselves to become ill, in order to avoid school, or an examination, or a coming feared family event. They soon learn that such self-knowledge is not acceptable, however, so they begin to pretend ignorance, quickly learning to tell themselves instead that they have a bug or a virus, or have caught a cold, seemingly for no reason at all. Parents frequently foster such behavior. Some are simply too busy to question a child about his own illness. It is far simpler to give a child aspirin, and send a child to bed with ginger ale and a coloring book. Such procedures unfortunately rob a child of important self-knowledge and understanding. They being to feel victims to this or that disorder. Since they have no idea that they themselves caused the problem to begin with, then they do not realize that they themselves possess the power to right the situation. If they are being rewarded for such behavior in the meantime, then the pressure is less, of course, so that bouts of illness or poor health can become ways of attaining attention, favorite status, and reward....Parents who are aware of these facts can start helping their children at an early age by asking them simply the reasons for their illness. A mother might say: You don’t need to have a temperature in order to avoid school, or as a way of getting love and attention, for I love you in any case. And if there is a problem at school, we can work it out together, so you don’t have to make yourself ill."

Session 5/xx, Page 215