Some people have a great time during the holiday season; for others, it is the most stressful time of the year. Whether it’s your mom asking you to do things you don’t want to, your dad getting a little too drunk, or your siblings making dumb jokes, attending family holidays can be a nightmare. Here are 10 excuses to get out of the holidays with your family:
1. Look After a Friends Dog
Does a family member have a dog hair allergy? Perfect. Find someone who needs a dog sitter and offer to sit their dog during the holiday. Then pretend you forgot that your family member has a dog hair allergy and offer to come with your dog. This is a great excuse to get out of holidays with family because it doesn’t require lying and can be easily verified by a quick phone call or text message with a photo.
2. Urgent Work Obligations
Work obligations always work. Most parents like to hear that their kids are needed at work. If your family only wants you to come for a few hours during the day, offer to see them again later in the evening. They’ll probably drop it as it will be too late, and they don’t want you to feel stressed.
3. Get Invited by Someone Else
It works if you have someone else who would be willing to take you. It might also be easier than saying, “I’m going out with friends,” since they might ask who these friends are and why they don’t come over instead.
4. You’re Feeling Sick
Yes, this might sound lame. But faking an illness is an all-purpose excuse, and it’s easy to pull off because it’s out of your control, and most people don’t want to be around someone sick. If they try to insist on seeing you, say something like, “I’m sorry, but I’m not contagious, so I don’t want other people getting sick.” But make sure the timing works out.
5. Plan a Vacation
If your family asks where you’re going, tell them Hawaii or somewhere exotic and expensive. They’ll think twice about inviting themselves along when they hear that! But be careful — if you go somewhere cheap, they might think they should come.
6. You Need to Buy Gifts
This excuse will get you out of the get-together for only one day, no longer. You can always say you’re busy shopping for presents. But make sure that you come with the presents the next day.
7. Be Honest
In my opinion, this is the best way to avoid Christmas with your family. You can be honest without hurting anyone. If you are not into celebrating Christmas any more, why lie? Offer to come before the Christmas season or after. Say that you need that time for yourself to recharge. If your relatives are pushy and insist on having you over, stand up for yourself without offending anyone.
8. Volunteer
Volunteering is a great Christmas Eve activity and always a good excuse for canceling on your family during the holiday. Plus, this does not even have to be a lie. There are so many volunteer opportunities, such as at the local homeless shelter on Christmas Eve or something like that. After that, you should mention how much fun it was to volunteer so you can use this excuse again next year.
9. You’re Saving Money
This is an excellent excuse if you live further away. You can tell them that you need to save up for something important, like a car or a house. They’ll understand, especially your mom or dad, that you want to make sure you have enough money in case something happens, like losing your job or having an emergency medical bill that costs more than you expected.
10. Offer a Video Call
Put on your Christmas hat, make yourself a Clausmopolitain, and video call your family. This is the best way to get out of the holidays but still be with your family, far away. And if it all gets too much, hang up. Did the internet drop out? It must have been because of the snowstorm. Oh well, you can call back tomorrow.
Last Thoughts
It’s perfectly valid to want to skip out on holidays with the family. There is no right or wrong when seeing family. Any decided excuse you make regarding holidays will have different talk and feelings. Just do what feels right for you, and remember that there are always options!
Hopefully, these tips and tricks will help you as you attempt to stay at home for the holidays and away from family gatherings. It is much more enjoyable sometimes to spend time alone than with family members.
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