Having kids is a built in font of pre-made believable excuses. That isn't to say that you shouldn't be honest in your daily doings, but it does mean that sometimes saying, "Sorry, Johnny isn't feeling great" is easier than saying, "Your sofa makes me itchy and your cat always jumps on my head and I don't really feel like wearing heels tonight."
How about you? Have you used your kids to help extend a little white lie? Do you use them to help get you out of parties, invites or social obligations because you'd need to get a sitter, you're tired or watching Grey's Anatomy in your pajamas is more appealing? Share your stories in the comments below!
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I'm only invited to awesome parties...
YES! Kids are the best invention EVER to get out of lots of things. Boring wedding receptions, boring parties, mind-numbing work functions etc
All. The. Time.
duh.
We're looking forward to this once ours is born!
It's funny though-I've noticed looking at other friends, especially on Facebook, there's some who are REALLY bad at it. Like, every event, every anything, magically little Johnny is sick and then at the zoo the next day. Stuff like that.
Kids are the best excuse ever. And jmorri26, pregnancy works great, too. ;)
cakowalik, oh i know ;) lol
Absolutely.
I don't have kids of my own, but I live with a couple and their 2-year-old. I remember early on, when we were all working, and coming home and just passing out, it was kind of nice to be able to say, "You know, tonight is my turn to cook," or "My Tiny Roommate just pooed all over the living room and I'm helping clean it up because it's all over her mom, too."
Another good one? "I think the little one brought a bug home from day care. I'm not feeling great."
I'm usually am just straight up with my close friends and family because I am a terrible liar.
Yep, pretty much the best excuse ever. I have used it to skip classes without losing out on participation marks... Professors who are crazy enough to mark you based on attendance to low level arts classes are way more willing to let it slide if your child is sick then if you have a cold, have a car that won't start, or forgot to switch your alarm clock over for daylight savings time. :)
And it also works well for staying home when I don't want to go out. Nobody can be mad at a poor student when they have nobody but a babysitter (who demands a minimum of $10/hr) to watch their kid (for an hour then use your cable tv for the other 3) and don't really want to fork over the cash for that!
No, I don't use my child as a fake excuse to get out of things. If I don't want to attend something, I just say I cannot go. End of story. People know you're just using the kids as little white lies.
Well good thing you are so much better than everyone a-chacun-son-gout.
I use my kid all the time- oh he's sick, oh he's grumpy, oh I have to take him to *insert random sport*... I am a full time working mom. When I'm off work I want to sit in my pjs at home with my son- not be out at your "art show" or "yoga fundraiser" I don't care about. :)
I find that I'd just rather hang out with my kid. I went out all the time in my 20s and most of my 30s and I figure spending 2 years laying low with my sweet baby is just fine. I'll become a social being again soon but I am really enjoying dropping off the grid for a bit.
Keough- ITA! I went out and did whatever i wanted until i had my first child at 30. Now my hubby and i would rather spend time with them. People are always telling us toget sitter and we always reply, why?!
I've found that the few times that I've done this, I've 1) felt guilty and 2) the kid(s) actually did come down with a bug shortly thereafter. I don't use them for excuses anymore.
No, but I use other people's kids as an excuse not to invite boring people to my parties.
And ha, there aren't a lot of things worth paying $17/hour for.
Could not agree with Keough & MidwesternMom more. I remember when my oldest was born, I went to a Junior League meeting (volunteer organization for women to socialize) and I remember thinking, I'd rather be at home staring at my sweet baby than talking with ANY of these women! That was the last time I went. Honestly, my kids are more fun and way better friends than most adults I know!
Wait. $17 per hour?!!! Where do you live?! The going rate for a sitter around here (Richmond, VA) is $10 per hour and I have a hard time with THAT amount!
i do but it's usually a real excuse like i want to be home for bedtime. i also let my kids use us as an excuse if they want an out for something. i'm happy to be the mean mom if it helps my kids politely decline invitations to events they aren't interested in attending.
I do, but rarely. I'm a social butterfly, so I'd rather stay out. What I was guilty of doing was blaming my lateness on my daughter, (particularly when she was a baby), which was partially true, but leaving out that I was already running behind. :S
I'm with the folks who would just rather stay home or do something with their kid. I was the social butterfly in college and after roughly 8 years of that, I was more than ready to just spend quiet evenings with my daughter and husband at home or wherever. I can count on one hand the number of times I've gotten a sitter. And while I definitely don't blame those of you who use your kid as an excuse (haven't we all done it?), I'm at the point where I just tell people that I'd rather just stay home.
I'm happy to pay a sitter to attend events I want to attend, but I definitely use the "Oh man, none of my sitters are free that night" excuse when I'm invited to things like Pampered Chef parties or anything that's basically asking me to come buy something. I also use the "Sorry, but this is costing me $10/hour" line when I want to get out of somewhere quickly. Works like a charm!
I also use my kid while AT a party (if it's a kid friendly one) to end awkward conversations that aren't going anywhere or if I don't really feel like being social. I'll act like he needs a bit more attention when really he's great at playing on his own. :)
Sometimes, but I also can say, "No thanks" or "I have other plans."
In Los Angeles, a good quality experienced nanny makes between $15-20/hour. Ours is $17, and it doesn't get cheaper to have her stay late.
Not as an excuse so much as just plain fact. My husband went to a wedding open house for someone he works with that was adults only and I stayed home with our 4 young boys. I wouldn't pay a sitter so I could go to something I wasn't REALLY interested in.
I tend to use a combination of everything. When it's a social event, like a fundraising party I'm not interested in, I just say no thanks. Whenever possible, we take our son along, checking with the hosts first; but since most of our friends now have children, it's really easy to go out with him.
Actually, I don't think I have used my son as an excuse yet. When I feel a party will be boring, I simply decline when invited, saying I have something else that evening.
Still, I may use him as an excuse if necessary... and I won't even feel guilty !