Buzz
There are times when going to school feels like an unbearable challenge. Maybe there's a test you're not prepared for, or you have to read something in front of the whole class and you're too shy, or you're worried about being bullied. In general, you just want to skip school. There are many ways to fake an illness, from simple excuses like nausea to more elaborate acts and plans. Whatever illness you choose, you have to make it seem as convincing as possible.
Steps
Ask your parents for permission to skip school
Request permission to skip school. Don’t assume you’ll always get your way. If you want to skip school for any reason, you should ask your parents for permission.
- Pick the right time when your parents are in a good mood. Asking at the wrong time might mean they won’t accept your excuse. If they are about to leave, they might refuse your request.
- Be prepared for a refusal. Parents don’t want to let you skip school unless you have a good reason to stay home.
Stay calm. If your parents don't allow you to stay home, don't get angry. It won't help and will only show that you're not mature enough to stay home alone.
- If you feel like getting upset, take a deep breath. If possible, try asking again later that day.
- Don’t insult your parents or act selfishly toward them. They may have a valid reason for making you go to school. If you yell in protest, you’ll only create more trouble for yourself.
Offer to do some chores around the house. You should try to compromise with your parents. They might accept your request to stay home if you're willing to clean the house. If you're ready to do the laundry, offer to wash some clothes for them.
- If your parents allow you to stay home with the condition that you do chores, agree right away. Don’t come up with excuses that might make them lose trust in you. Otherwise, it will be harder to negotiate with them in the future.
- Making a good compromise proposal can improve your reputation in your parents’ eyes. If they see you as responsible, it will be easier to convince them next time.
Be honest. You might not be sick, but there could be other reasons why you don't want to go to school. If you're being bullied or feel uncomfortable at school, talk to your parents about it.
- They may still insist on you going to school, but they will help you address the problem.
Fake a cold
Start early. If you plan to skip school, it’s better to prepare in advance instead of deciding at the last minute. Yell a lot to make your voice hoarse or practice fake coughing.
- Make sure your parents aren’t home when you’re practicing. If they catch you, you’ll have to go to school.
- Most people start feeling like they’re coming down with a cold a day or two before it hits. You can suggest to your parents that you're about to get sick.
Show symptoms of illness. Sneezing and coughing, but don’t overdo it. Act as if even getting up is difficult. Speak to your family and friends in a very quiet manner. If you've mentioned a headache, keep complaining about it, don’t change the location of the pain.
- Frequently nod off, especially when watching TV. Sick children tend to fall asleep easily. If just a minute ago you said you're sick but now you’re excited about a TV show, your parents won’t believe you.
- Avoid complaining too much. The key to faking an illness is not making it obvious that you’re pretending. Limit the groaning and don’t set up a dramatic scene.
Fake a fever. A common way to fake a fever is to place a hot water bottle on your forehead.
- Another trick is to place the thermometer under hot water to raise the temperature. This method is simple but it works only if your parents are easy to convince.
- Be cautious when pretending to have a fever. If your temperature gets too high, you might end up in the emergency room and get caught. Try to keep the fever around 38°C.
- Don’t put the thermometer in the microwave to heat it. That would ruin the thermometer.
Do some makeup if possible. This requires some skill, but it will make your act look more convincing. Make your skin look pale by applying foundation, and use a bit of lipstick to make your nose appear red.
- If you don’t have your own makeup, be careful. If your parents catch you using their makeup, you'll get into much bigger trouble.
- When choosing lipstick to make your nose red, avoid glosses or shimmery lipsticks. Stick to a basic red lipstick.
- Don’t use overly bright foundation if you want to make your skin look pale. Choose a shade that closely matches your natural skin tone.
- Use red lipstick (for your nose) around the corners of your eyes. Be careful not to get it in your eyes, and only apply enough to make it look like you've been rubbing your eyes.
Fake a stomach ache
Stay in the bathroom for a long time. When pretending to have a stomach ache, the best way is to head to the bathroom. Parents usually don’t ask many questions when you're in there for a while. Besides a few general inquiries, they don’t want to know what you’re doing.
- Don’t groan or make any disgusting noises. Keep your act simple and believable.
Make your skin feel cool and damp. Splash cold water on your face to make your skin feel cooler. Wet your hair slightly, but avoid getting your body wet. You want others to think your skin feels chilled. If asked, say you feel warm. This will make your parents think you're sweating from a cold.
- You could do some light exercises like push-ups or sit-ups, but just enough to get a little sweat on your forehead.
Feign dizziness. Nausea often accompanies dizziness. Avoid sudden movements. Try to sit as much as possible. If you must walk, do so slowly.
Avoid throwing up. When pretending to feel nauseous, don't actually throw up. Tell them you're not hungry but have a stomachache. Try to eat very little, but whatever you do, don't actually vomit. It's not helpful at all.
Feign a headache
Rub your forehead. To fake a headache, rub your forehead and squint your eyes. Lie down on a couch or the floor and keep your hand on your forehead.
- When your parents ask how you're feeling, tell them your head hurts right behind your eyes. The more vividly you describe the pain, the more they will worry about you.
React to bright lights. People who suffer from severe headaches often can't tolerate bright lights. If someone opens a window, or you're in a room with lots of sunlight, turn your face away and complain about the light.
- Don't exaggerate at this point. Sensitivity to light often happens with migraines, but not with regular headaches. Consider carefully when using this tactic.
Act as lazy as possible. If you have a headache, you're definitely not going to want to engage in any physical activity. Lie in bed and try to sleep as early as possible.
- To look even sicker, keep the room really quiet. Turn off the TV and avoid listening to music. It's rare for parents to believe their child would stay in a dark room all day without any entertainment.
Tips
- Be consistent with what you choose to complain about. If you first say your stomach hurts and then claim your legs hurt, your parents may become suspicious.
- If you pretend to be sick for more than a day and continue to be 'sick' the next day, you'll be taken to the doctor or forced to take medication. Be cautious about this.
- You can avoid taking medicine, but if you go to the doctor, they'll make you take it or prescribe it, and your parents will have to pay for it.
- Fake a little nausea the night before. This shows that you're not just making up being sick right when you want to skip school.
- Tell your mom or dad that you haven't been feeling well since the previous day. You 'woke up' several times during that sick night. If they ask why you didn't come to their room to let them know, say you didn't want to wake them up.
- By late evening, tell your parents your stomach feels uncomfortable. If they ask why you didn't say anything earlier, just tell them you didn't want to bother them.
- If your parents don't believe you, or if you don't want to lie, simply say you need a day off from school to relieve stress.
- If you're pretending to be sick, don't overdo it. Your parents will get suspicious of your behavior.
- Try staying up all night, and by the time it's time to go to school, you'll look sick and tired. Your parents will let you stay home without you needing to say anything. However, don't make this a habit. Sleep is crucial for your health.
Warnings
- Faking illness can get you into trouble with your parents. You need to be fully aware of the risks before you start playing the skipping school game.
- Don’t do anything that could negatively impact your health. Avoid taking medicine just to act sick.
- Never take any medicine your body doesn’t need. It's not good for your health. You might say your stomach is upset, but pretending that medicine will help is just a lie.
- Don't pretend to be so sick that it leads to a hospital visit. You might fool your parents, but you can't fool a doctor.
- If you're staying home because of school-related problems, you should seek professional help. You need to let your parents know if you're being bullied. Skipping school won’t solve your problems.
- Skipping school too often will cause you to fall behind in your lessons. That means when you return, you’ll face a mountain of homework.
- Even after school ends, you still have to fake being sick. If you’ve been sick all day and then suddenly feel better as soon as school is over, your parents will catch on to the lie.
