# Throwing up intentionally



## FLmom_3 (Jan 13, 2007)

I have a question about my nieces. My sister-n-law has 2 girls, age 2 & 3. They both have the ability to throw up on the spot! Everytime they don't get their way, they can instantly make themselves sick. It's not like they've thrown a fit to the point of caughing and making themselves sick, they actually do it on purpose. I'm not sure how (they don't stick their fingers in their mouths or anything) but if told no, they will start to cry. She tries to comfort them and tell them she's sorry but sometimes Mommy has to say no about certain things. At that point or whenever they realize the fit will not get their way, they will instantly make themselves throw up.

Has anyone ever gone through this? If so, is there anything she can do to get it to stop? It's to the point that she's almost never able to take them in public because anytime they don't get their way (running around parking lots, running around the store, getting new toys or candy, etc) they will make themselves throw up and she would have to take a full bag of clothes to make it through the day and wouldn't get anything done from staying in the bathrooms cleaning them up all day.


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## chfriend (Aug 29, 2002)

Have they been evaluated by a hcp?


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## mamaduck (Mar 6, 2002)

That sounds annoying. (Understatement of the year, I imagine.)

The first thing is to make sure there is nothing physically wrong with them, and to make sure it really *is* intentional/at will. It could be a sort of nervous tic, whereby this is they way the react to stress.

But assuming that it is intentional, my gut instinct is that this is probably similar to a 2-3 year old child intentionally wetting herself when she doesn't get her way. Its a mechanism by which they have learned to exert control. So,
1) the parents can try to take it in stride, and refuse to allow it to "work" for them. Reacting strongly, giving in, or giving any sort of excessive attention could reinforce it. Just like a potty accident, I would say, "Uh-oh!" or "oopsie" and then try to calmly solicit their help in cleaning it up.
and
2) Give the girls lots of positive control. Lots of choices about little things throughout the day that they CAN have control over. Control over their own bodies, their foods, their room, etc.

I have never heard of or experienced this behavior, but also I wanted to say that going out and running errands with mulitple _easy_ children at that age is a challenge.


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## FLmom_3 (Jan 13, 2007)

Yea, I understand about going in public - my girls are 3, 8 & 11 and it is STILL a mind draining experience to go through the grocery store with em', but we manage.

I don't think it is medical because she takes them to the pediatrician often and has mentioned it and they've found nothing physically wrong, but I guess a nervous reaction wouldn't actually be "physical", would it? It could be but the funny thing is, they don't do it everytime, only during certain times - it's like they've even figured when it would be most difficult for her and choose then to have the "power struggle" and let the battle begin. I posted in another similar subject post that they've even began to give her threatening warnings, so to speak, where they begin to cry and gag like they are going to get sick to give her a chance to give them their way before they "bring out the big guns". I know it isn't funny but it is HILARIOUS to me to see their little bodies "threatening" like that - not really funny, I guess, but more amazing how smart they are (selectively using it when they know it will be worst for her, etc.) & it blows my mind because I've never seen anything like it.

The oldest did throw a fit to the point of throwing up as a baby and I'm not sure if she saw Mom's reaction and realized it really got Mom's attention and the youngest just picked this up from big sis or what.

Kids & their thinking processes are truly amazing!


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## chfriend (Aug 29, 2002)

Maybe recommend Kids, Parents and Power Struggles by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka to her?

http://www.amazon.com/Kids-Parents-P...e=UTF8&s=books


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## nextcommercial (Nov 8, 2005)

I don't have any ideas, but I did have a day care girl that could do this too.

And it is SOO annoying.

When she was three, her MOm asked me to say "Don't you dare throw up" every time she was going to cry. I tried it, and it kinda worked. But, not always, and I felt stupid saying that.


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