20 Good Excuses to Leave the House (To Tell Your Parents)

Leaving the house at night when your parents are home is never easy. It would help to come up with a few good lies to tell your parents that will get you out the door before they ask questions. This article will give you the best excuses out there.

Good excuses to leave the house are “just getting some air,” “going for a walk,” and “friend visited.” These are great to let your parents know you need to leave for a brief time. It doesn’t give them a direct time to expect you, which gives you some wiggle room.

1. Just Getting Some Air

Getting some air is one of the best excuses to leave the house. Your parents will usually understand, especially if home life is currently quite stressful.

It’s worth using if you’ll only be gone for an hour or less. Anything more than that might lead to a few questions.

• I need to get some air, so I’ll be spending a few minutes outside.
• I’m sorry, but I have to get some air. I can’t be cooped up like this.

2. Going for a Walk

If you want to see your boyfriend, you might want to use a subtle excuse like going for a walk. Most parents will appreciate that you want to get some exercise.

You don’t have to tell them the full story here. It’s best to keep things simple unless they specifically ask you to elaborate. Good parents will accept that you have your own plans without prying too much.

• I just want to go for a walk. You can’t keep me locked in the house forever!
• I’m going for a walk. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I’ll text you to let you know.

3. Friend Visited

If your friend has just pulled up outside your house, it would be rude to ignore them. That’s why this excuse works well, as it gives you a chance to explain why you’re leaving the house.

However, if your friend really is outside, your parents will likely check. You need to make sure you don’t lie if you’re using this one, as it’s far too easy to get caught out.

• I know it’s 1am, but my friend is outside because his father just went to prison.
• I think I need to see my friend because they’ve just pulled up outside.

4. Taking Out the Trash

You could always use the “taking out the trash” excuse, but it’s a bit of a tricky one. If you’re only going to be a few minutes, then it’ll work well.

However, if you are gone for a few hours or longer, you will definitely get called out on the lie by your parents. Be careful using this one if you think you might be gone for a while.

• I need to take out the trash. Do you mind if I pop out for a little while?
• I’m just going to take out the trash if that’s alright with you!

5. Thought the Pet Got Out

You could say that you thought your pet got out, but it’s risky. For starters, you need a pet. Otherwise, this makes absolutely no sense.

On top of that, it’s not wise to use this excuse at 1am or later since, most of the time; your pet will already be sleeping.

You need to play your cards right and use this one at an appropriate time.

• I thought the dog had gotten out! That’s why I was gone for so long. I spent ages looking for him.
• I thought the dog had gotten out, so I went to check! I couldn’t find him anywhere.

6. Lost Something

If you need a quick excuse to see your girlfriend or your friend, losing something earlier in the day is a great choice.

It shows that you want to backtrack and retrace your steps until you find something. It gives your parents an indefinite timeframe that will allow you to make the most of your time outside of the house.

• I think I lost my phone earlier, so I need to go and find it. I have a feeling I know where it is.
• It shouldn’t be too long, but I need to go and find my wallet. I got a call saying that it’s at the city council.

7. Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are always a solid option. As an excuse, they work well because they make it seem like you have something to do.

Your parents will be ecstatic that you’re participating in activities outside school hours. It shows that you’re keen to learn new things, happy to be part of a team, and make new friends, all on the same day.

• I have my book club meeting tonight. I would like to leave the house to go and have fun.
• It’s time for my sports club. I know you don’t like me leaving, but I have to get it sorted.

8. Group Project

A group project is another great way to show your parents that you care about learning outside of your usual routine. You can use this one to show that you’re part of a group working towards a common goal.

They might ask for more information, so make sure you plan something. The more detailed the excuse you give here, the more likely your parents will be to believe you.

• I told you all about the group project, didn’t I? Well, it’s about to happen!
• I need the group project to go well, which is why I need to leave the house. I’m sorry.

9. Group Study

A group study is even more powerful than a group project. The word “study” will always interest your parents because it shows that you’re actively trying to learn something.

It’s a great excuse, as long as you can provide the names of some of the people in the group. You will want to stick with trustworthy people to make sure your parents don’t mind you spending time with them.

• It’s time for my group study session, dad. Do you mind if I head out now to get it sorted?
• I need to be there for the group study. I can’t leave them on their own. They depend on me.

10. School Supplies at the Mall

If you’re looking for a solid way to convince your parents to let you go out, school supplies are a good scapegoat. It indicates that you care about your academic growth, which is all most parents want from their children.

Of course, once you’re out of the house, you can do whatever you want. Ideally, you should still go to the mall, just in case your parents check in on you.

• Do you mind if I go to the mall to get school supplies? There are a few things I need to pick up.
• My school supplies are running low, so I’m going to run to the mall for a bit.

11. School Event

A school event is likely to take up your time outside of school hours. That’s why it’s a great excuse to use when trying to get out of the house.

Whether it’s true or not is up to you. A school event is a great excuse, even if there isn’t one happening. If it is a lie, though, you have got to make sure your parents don’t realize it.

• I have a school event tonight. I’m sure I gave you the newsletter that explained all about it.
• I need to be at school for the event tonight. You’re more than welcome to come if you don’t trust me.

12. Party

This one is a bold choice. You should only use it if you know your parents don’t mind you going to parties.

They might ask questions about the kind of people who are going. You may want to downplay it, especially if you know it’s going to be a big party with lots of other kids.

• I’m going to a small party with a few friends tonight. Dean will be there, so he’ll look after me.
• I have a small party planned that I’d really love your permission to go to!

13. Pre-planned Activity

If you already have an activity planned with someone, your parents might not want you to cancel. Canceling plans is rude, and if they were the reason you had to cancel, they might feel ashamed of themselves.

• I have an activity planned with a few of my friends. It would be really rude if I had to cancel now.
• I know it’s late, but I have to go out because I have a few plans with my friends.

14. Work Emergency

A work emergency is a good excuse for someone who is a little older and has a job. This is a good excuse if you want to pretend that work has called you in to get out of the house.

• There’s an emergency at work! I really need to sort a few of these things out.
• There’s an emergency at work, dad. You can’t keep me here. They need me.

15. Boys’/Girls’ Night

A boys’ or girls’ night is another reason to get out of the house, but it’s more direct. You do not have to lie if you are really having a boys’ or girls’ night.

As long as your parents don’t mind you going to have a little bit of fun, this excuse should be fine.

• I love that I get to go to girls’ night with your permission. Thank you.
• I have a boys’ night planned tonight. Please, don’t take this away from me.

16. Gym

The gym is becoming more popular as the years go by, and almost everyone trains in them in some capacity. That’s why it’s a great excuse, as it gives you a reason to be out of the house for a few hours at a time.

You can meet whomever you want at the gym. You don’t have to specify who you’re meeting or what you plan on doing.

• I’m just going to the gym, mom. Do you mind if I do that?
• I will be at the gym until about 11. I’ll be home as soon as I can.

17. Errands to Run

Errands are a good excuse if your parents know you’re a hard worker with a lot to do. However, if you don’t often do errands, this might not work well as an excuse.

Your parents will know you better than anyone. So, they will know if your excuse is a little bit out of the blue or out of character. It works best to stick to an excuse that seems plausible to you.

• I need to complete a few tasks for my manager. Do you mind if I leave the house?
• I’m going to run a few errands later today. I hope you don’t mind if I leave.

18. Go to Town

Going to town is a fairly common excuse people use when they want to leave the house. You can use this phrase when you want your parents to let you out of the house for a few hours.

There’s quite a lot to do in a town, so you won’t be expected back too quickly. Most parents will let you have a few hours to get things done.

• I want to go to town with a few friends. It’s only going to be a small gathering. Do you mind?
• I need to go to town to sort some things out. Do you mind?

19. Pick up Some Food

Picking up some food is a specific errand you might want to resort to. If you are hungry or there isn’t any food in the house, it could be good to use this excuse.

• I will pick up some food for later. Is there anything you’d like me to get for you?
• Can we pick up some food later? I’ll go on my own if you don’t want to come with me.

20. I Want to Go To…

If you want to go out, sometimes it’s best to be honest.

You don’t have to give the full details to your parents but being honest about where you go is a good choice. If your parents are fairly tolerant, you should feel comfortable using this method.

Of course, if it’s late at night, you might struggle to find a suitable and honest choice that your parents agree with. Still, it’s worth being honest if you think you can get away with going out.

• I want to go to the bar with a few of my friends. I hope that’s fine with you.
• I want to go to the event, but I understand if you want to stop me.