I went and picked up my nephew from school about a week ago - he was sick - had a headache. In the car on the way home, I caught myself thinking, "You'd better act sick - after making me go up to the school looking like this," (I had been working in the yard - I was a MESS!). When I got him home, he went straight to the TV and played X-Box.
When my kids call from school, they are required to answer a check-list: "Do you have a fever? Are you throwing up? Are you curled up in a ball? Is there blood? Is there an appendage aiming in the wrong direction?" If my kids answer, "Uh ... No," to these questions, then I say, "Then get back to class."
If they get home anyways (because they called my husband to pick them up) and I see them, I say, "You're home sick? What's the matter?" and make them list all of their symptoms. Then I start to watch them (on the sly) to see if they are really sick. If they don't act sick (very important), I say, "You don't seem sick to me," and then they go through the whole pretense of making themselves loooook sick (slumping shoulders, hands on the forehead, grabbing at the nearest blanket ...). Then I almost always say, "You'd better really be sick," like any good mother would say.
I want someone to come pick me up when I have a headache - take me to get ice cream.
On the upside ... I don't think any of these children really know - that we know - when they are faking sick. I love that! I love having that on them!