14+ of the Best Emergency Family Excuses for School Absences

What are the best emergency family excuses for absence from school?

OThe best excuses for missing school or tests include:

Indicate that you have a general family emergency
Car accident
Medical consultations
Have a debilitating medical condition
car trouble
mental health problems
emergency dental appointments
military activation
Death of a family member
Disease
migraine
Exhaustion
Assault
childcare

You should be aware that a family emergency may apply to you or a member of your immediate family. So feel free to use these excuses for being away from school when talking about yourself, mom, dad, siblings, or other close family members.

Lucky for you, I'll show you some of the best excuses to miss a whole day of school. I'll also show you some of the worst excuses you can use and some tricks your teachers can use to report you if they don't believe you.

Main conclusions:

The most common excuse for missing school usually involves an emergency situation that affects you or a close family member. Credible excuses usually do not include extended family.
Instructors canask for verification of your family emergency, so it is better not to lie.
The different types of absences include excused and unexcused. School attendance policies are usually listed on the school's website. In general, the teacher is responsible for determining whether an absence is excused or unexcused.
Instructors are much less likely to excuse it if you are chronically absent or consistently missing classes without prior approval.

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Emergency Family Excuses for School Absence

Finding a good reason for a school absence can be challenging. In fact, excused absences are often subjective and considered acceptable or unacceptable by the instructor.

Each school will have guidelines on what is considered an excused absence. For example, Montana Tech University offers the followingGuidance on Excused Absences:

Instructors must provide reasonable accommodations to make up for excused absences.
Students should communicate any anticipated absences in advance so that they understand the classroom's absence policy.
Excused absences are Montana Tech events (for example, sporting events you participate in) and personal matters deemed appropriate by the instructor.

As you can see, your teacher has most of the power to determine if your absence is excused or not.

Therefore, it is important to understand your teacher and how to reach him. As you can imagine, some teachers will be nicer than others.

Let's take a look at some of the most common emergency family excuses and how you can use them for your leave request.

#1 Family Emergency

One of my favorite ways to clear up an unexcused absence from school is to state that you have a family emergency. A family emergency is a broad term used to describe a problem in your family that requires your care.

Examples of family emergencies may include:

Serious illness or injury
Death of a family member
A car accident involving a family member.
sudden loss of income
Mental health crisis (for example, depression or anxiety)
substance abuse
domestic violence
Legal issues (for example, a family member was arrested)
breaking and entering
birth of a child
pregnancy complications
Food poisoning
Bullying (for example, cyberbullying or threats against your family)
animal attack

It is important to note that a family emergency may cover you or an immediate family member. By immediate family, we mean someone in your immediate family such as your parents, siblings, children, and even grandparents.

A family emergency can be as simple as saying that your spouse really needs you above your school or work priorities.

I like to think of using a family emergency excuse as your golden ticket so you don't get in trouble for missing work or school. Most teachers will generally not question you further for mentioning a family emergency.

However, it's not a foolproof excuse because your school or boss might still ask you for proof of your emergency. Therefore, it is always important to be open and honest about your emergency.

For example, some teachers may even request a funeral program if you claim that your grandparents have died. Failure to return to a program may result in an unexcused absence or failure of an exam that you did not take.

car accident #2

When I was in college, I met a girl who was in a car accident just before our college midterms. The accident left her in extreme brain fog and unable to prepare for or take a test. In this case, she asked the teacher if she could take the test later or drop it.

The professor was more than willing to delay the test for another week.

However, the girl clearly had signs of having been in a car accident. Her face was extremely scratched from the impact. Just by looking at the girl, you could tell that something had happened.

Not all car accidents leave marks. You may be extremely upset that you were in a car accident, even a small dent in your fender.

Remember, it does not have to be you in the car accident. It is perfectly acceptable to use a car accident as a family emergency excuse if one of your close family members has been in a car accident.

Any car accident, no matter how big or small, is a valid excuse to miss school for a test. You should try to inform the teacher as soon as possible to avoid suspicion of looseness.

In some cases, your teacher may request proof of the accident. In this case, they can ask for a copy of the police report. If you don't file a police report, the teacher may dislike you.

#3 Medical consultation

Doctor appointments are too complicated to use as an excuse to miss school or miss a test. Most teachers will expect you to make appointments with your doctor outside of school hours.

However, sometimes you are allowed to go to a doctor's appointment that usually lasts for months. A typical example would be a dermatology appointment, as dermatologists typically book 2-6 months in advance.

A teacher may ask for proof of your medical appointment.. Usually, your teacher can request a medical certificate to show that he attended the appointment.

#4 medical reasons

There are certain medical reasons why you should skip classes, like being contagious. Any condition that you feel is not beneficial to you or the class you are attending is usually a good reason to stay home.

You should also consider staying home if one of your family members also has medical problems. As long as it is one of the only support systems your family member has, it is an acceptable reason to stay home.

Common medical reasons why you might stay home from school include:

Feeling contagious, like the common cold, flu, or even covid-19
Having a chronic condition, such as Crohn's disease.
Struggling with mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and stress.
Have you had surgery recently?
You have a severe allergic reaction or sensitivity to food.

When I was in college, I knew a girl who had Crohn's disease and she used to use that as an excuse to skip class when she wasn't feeling well. The key is that she was a good student who was doing an excellent job and was providing information to the teacher.

Don't try to spend your fun night on Taco Tuesday for the dismissal of medical class. Most of the teachers are very familiar with bar promotions and may even be present.

#5 Car problems

I went to college in a very cold and snowy place. It was not uncommon for temperatures to drop below freezing and unexpected snowfall to occur.

Bad weather has its own excuse for not going to school, but weather can also contribute to many different car problems. In particular, your battery can be depleted as temperatures drop.

In some cases, losing a car means you have to turn the spare car over to a family member who has more important responsibilities, like work. It could even be a one-car family, meaning your only mode of transportation is now unusable.

Having at least one means of transportation should be a priority for you and your family. Not having a car can make it difficult to buy groceries or run essential errands.

#6 mental health day

Mental health issues are quickly becoming one of the most common reasons people miss work or school. Taking care of your mental health should be your number one priority.

Students may experience, or know someone who does, any of these common mental health issues that will prevent them from attending school:

Anxiety
Depression
Personality disorder
post traumatic stress disorder
obsessive compulsive disorder
Substance abuse and addiction
Hyperactive disorder and attention deficit
Learning difficulties

Most colleges are well equipped with different resources to help you deal with your mental health issues. For example, some of the options my school had through a Department of Disability Services include:

Unlimited use of one happy light. As I mentioned earlier, my campus was practically in winter for most of the school year. Depression is common during the winter, so the school had a happy light on helping students boost their serotonin levels.
Advice. My school had several counselors that any student could consult with for free.
equipment requests. Once I was extremely stressed about a test and the teacher recommended my own quiet room to take the test. They brought a table and I was able to take the test without interruptions.
peer tutoringYounger students were often compared to older students, usually within their area of study. These younger students were able to ask questions or get homework help from someone who had been through the same program more recently.

#7 Dental Appointments

Dental appointments are not really considered a family emergency, and most teachers will ask you to schedule dental appointments outside of school hours. However, if you or a member of your immediate family needs to be taken to the dentist for a chipped tooth, you may be able to get away with it.

The key to making a dental appointment a valid excuse for a family emergency is the urgency with which the appointment is needed. For example, any of these sudden problems should be seen by a dentist right away:

Gum or tooth infection
Broken or missing tooth
Abscess around tooth or gum tissue
unexplained swelling around the mouth
Discomfort or pain when chewing

For example, I had to miss responsibilities like school or work after biting into a Tootsie Pop and chipping a tooth over the weekend. The broken tooth was extremely painful and I needed an immediate appointment.

Fortunately, I wrote a comprehensive guide onusing dental emergencies as an excuseleave work or school. The guide walks you through more than 30 different emergencies that may apply to you or your family members.

#8 The family member of the service has been activated

You should tell your school immediately if one of your family members has been called up for military service. Having a family member activated can be very difficult for families. Now is your chance to pass the time before they ship.

Most schools will understand the situation and generally have policies for military families.

#9 Death in the family

It is not uncommon that when you reach college age, you lose a grandparent. Many of my frat brothers had to use the excuse that there had been a death in the family to miss class. None of my frat brothers had a problem using that excuse.

However, as mentioned above, not all teachers sympathize with a deceased family member. Some teachers may expect you to bring a funeral program to prove a death in the family.

Other teachers came to call their parents and offer their condolences for the deceased relative. This conversation usually takes place in two ways:

His parents thank the teacher for his condolences and confirm that there has been a death in the family.
His parents asked the teacher what the hell are they talking about.

#10 disease

Stay home if you don't feel well. The last thing anyone wants is to catch a cold and get sick. Remember, prior communication with your teacher is required so that you can avoid unexcused absences.

# 11 Headache or migraine

I had frequent migraines and not just the ones that follow Wing Night at our local bar. Migraines can be downright debilitating, making them a perfect excuse to miss work or school.

The moment you think you won't be able to attend class due to a migraine, send an email to your teacher. I would send them something like:

Teacher,

I am sorry to inform you that I will not be able to attend class today because I am having an extreme migraine attack. This happens to me from time to time and I desperately need to deal with this situation.

I don't want to miss important class information or turn in my work on time. Is there a way to watch the lecture online, email my assignment, or find out what chapters are being covered in the book?

Please let me know how I can make this migraine less of an impact on my studies.

Gracias,

[Your name]

Fortunately, I have written a guide that you can follow totaking time off due to severe migraines. The guide will walk you through crafting the ultimate sales pitch to your boss or teacher for needing time off due to a headache.

#12 Burnout

Burnout is an excuse you should only use with a good teacher. College is one of the most exhausting and fun times of our lives. I spent many nights in the library trying to get my assignments in order for the next morning.

Personally, I would try to emphasize how much stress you are under and how you have not been able to maintain a healthy sleep schedule. You can ask the teacher for a little more time to turn in assignments while you try to catch up.

My recommendation would be to give examples of why you are so exhausted. Examples may include:

Staying up late studying for a test
Have a higher than normal workload.
Receive multiple tasks that are due on the same day

I would avoid telling your teacher about any extracurricular activities like parties or fun events.

#13 Assault

Unfortunately, assault is a very likely scenario on a college campus. If you or one of your family members is the victim of an assault, contact your teacher immediately and request time off. Assault victims often need time to recover and gain emotional support before they are ready to return to their responsibilities.

It is important to note that aggression can occur in many different ways. Any of these forms of assault is a valid reason for missing school:

physical aggression
sexual assault
domestic violence

Your school may offer counselors you can talk to in case of bullying.

If the person who is abusing you or your family member is in one of your classes, your school may adjust your schedule.

#14 Childcare

Childcare issues are another acceptable reason to miss school at the last minute. Your number one priority should be for your children and your family. So it's always important to make sure you have a daycare you can trust so you can go to school with peace of mind.

You can also check with your teacher to see if remote learning is an opportunity. Remote learning would allow you to view the lecture online for when you have childcare issues and are unable to attend class.

Non-Emergency Excuses for Absence from School

The following are non-emergency excuses for missing school. Use of these excuses may result in an unexcused absence, but you will need to consult your teacher to determine an excused or unexcused absence.

Family holidays

Most teachers do not allow family vacations as an acceptable excuse to miss class. Students have summer and winter breaks to take vacations. Most teachers will expect you to use school vacations or other non-confrontational times to take vacations.

heavy traffic

Extraordinarily heavy traffic is often a poor excuse to miss class. Your instructor will plan your route accordingly in advance and will always be on time. In that case, it's better to be late due to heavy traffic now than when you get your first job and your boss definitely expects you to be on time.

Bad weather

There may be bad weather, but your teacher expects you to be on time, regardless of what happens outside. The only exception is usually when the school or school district sends out an alert that classes are delayed or cancelled.

jury duty

Jury duty is only a valid excuse if you have advance communication with your professor saying you were selected. You should not miss class and then expect an unannounced excused absence for jury duty.