Step children always "ill", please help!?

you know it might not seem like there is a problem but maybe they are craving some extra daddy alone time...no offence but without you and your child together. they go to see daddy whom they only see every other weekend, they are old enough to realise that your children with them see him more and thats perhaps why they crave the attention that they do. there also smart enough to realise that if they are sick they are wrapped up in cotton wool and given extra attention that they crave. it is psychological not physical by the sounds of it. how do you get on with mum? maybe this is worth talking about all together. if it is going to be awkward you will all have to work on that together anyway for the sake of teh children:) goodluck!