“Mom, my tummy hurts, I can’t go to school.” This is a sentence many parents hear as they are getting their children ready for school. At this moment, some parents get worried and start thinking that their child’s physical pain is being caused by food or digestion problems, while some feel their child is simply looking for an excuse to not go to school. However, experts signal that the real reason behind a stomach ache in children may not actually be a physical problem, but more of an emotional concern.

Howard Schubiner, a Clinical Professor at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, shared that children experiencing stomach pain before school may sometimes be responding to emotional stress rather than a physical problem. “When a child is having a tummy ache before going to school, chances are there's nothing wrong with them. Yeah. Chances are there's something in their life that they just feel unsafe about,” he said in a recent podcast on Youtube.

However, this does not mean the child is lying about the tummy ache or pretending to be in pain. The expert emphasized that the connection between emotions and physical sensations is well recognised. “We have fMRI studies of the brain showing stress and emotions are intimately related to pain. Yeah. I would say the medical profession has a really good awareness in children that stress can cause pain,” Schubiner noted.

The expert suggests that young children may not always have the words to explain what they’re feeling. So if you child also says they’re having a tummy ache before school, it may be linked to:

• School-related anxiety

It may be that the child is worried about a test, homework, or even scared of a teacher.

• The “I don’t fit in” feeling

Loneliness or friendship problems can lead to social struggles, and can create a type of stress which is difficult to express.

• Fear of failure

Some children put pressure on themselves to perform well and may feel anxious about not being “good enough.”

• Bullying or uncomfortable experiences

A child may avoid sharing what is happening at school but show signs of stress through physical complaints.

What parents can do when a child says “My tummy hurts”

The mistake many parents make is that they dismiss the child’s complaint, especially if it happens regularly. However, if a child is regularly complaining, it becomes all the more important that parents address the root cause. While not ignoring the physical difficulty, parents can try to gently open a conversation with their child. Ask them if there’s anything that’s bothering them, did anything happen at school. Parents can also contact school teachers and their child’s classmate if anything happened at school that could be bothering them.
In essence, a child’s tummy ache before school may not always be just about the stomach. Sometimes it can be a small signal that they need reassurance, support, and help expressing what they are feeling.