How to Get Sent Home from School

Even the best of students needs a break some days. But teachers and school nurses have years of practice identifying the signs and symptoms of fakers. So what's the best way for you to get sent home to enjoy a day off? You might fake a contagious disease or claim an embarrassing condition, but whichever you decide on, all you need is a little commitment and consistency and soon you'll be home watching TV instead of doing busywork in class.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Claiming an Embarrassing Condition

Download Article

1
Choose an embarrassing sickness. You'll want to choose something that is common, but something that most people would be embarrassed to admit. This will give more credibility to your story, as your school nurse or office worker will think it unlikely that you would admit to something embarrassing if it weren't necessary.^{[1]XResearch source} Some examples include:
- Diarrhea
- Bad gas^{[2]XResearch source}
You'll have to convince your teacher to tell her that you aren't feeling well, but before you do, make your story more believable by going to the bathroom several times. Space out your bathroom breaks by about 20 to 30 minutes, and if your teacher questions you, tell her that you've been feeling "a little funny."
Advertisement
3
Approach your teacher privately. After making a few trips to the bathroom, you're ready to talk to your teacher about getting sent home. Be sure that you are appropriately embarrassed about your condition and try to talk to your teacher one-on-one. Don't come right out and admit that you have diarrhea or gas. Instead, describe it in a different way, like:
- "I've been having to go to the bathroom a lot today and my stomach's hurting. I keep having to go and it's really bad. I just want to lay down for a little bit."
- "I'm sorry I keep having to go to the bathroom. I'm really embarrassed, but I keep passing gas. It's really bad and I don't want anyone to laugh at me."
4
Stick to your story. You'll likely have to jump through one more hoop before you are sent home. The last obstacle before you get sent home will likely be your school nurse or an office worker. As long as you don't change your story and continue being embarrassed about your condition, you'll likely be sent home before too long.
- Stress the fact that your stomach is upset and that you want to lay down for a little while.
- You may want to get a false scent that imitates bad gas and spritz some of this around you when no one is looking. These kind of sprays can be bought at novelty stores, magic shops, and online.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Faking a Fever

Download Article

1
Master your symptoms. A convincing sign that you are ill will put you in arm's distance of a thermometer, which is key to faking a fever. If you claim too many symptoms, like a headache, dizziness, and nausea, that is usually a dead giveaway you are faking. It's better to pick a single symptom, like a headache, and one feeling associated with that symptom.^{[3]XResearch source} For example, you might say:
- "I have a headache and every time I stand up I feel a little dizzy. This has never happened to me before. Is this normal? I don't feel good."
- "My stomach's upset. I don't know why, it just started hurting last night and this morning I had to go to the bathroom real bad. Can I go lay down for a while?"
Once you have gained access to the nurse's office of the waiting area of your school's office, you are in reaching distance of the school thermometer. The thermometer will be your key to getting sent home. Stick to your symptoms. Now that you're out of class, you should tell the adult watching you that you feel warm and ask for a thermometer.
3
Find a heat source or raise your body temperature. This will require some stealth or planning. You must be careful the adult in charge of taking your temperature doesn't even suspect that you are artificially raising your temperature. If he does, you're chances are getting sent home are next to nil. When faking out the thermometer, you'll have to be careful not to raise the temperature too high. The ideal fake-sick temperature is between 99.5°F (37.5°C) and 100°F (37.78°C). To fake out the thermometer, you might:
- Do some light exercise on your way to the office/nurse's room. This can artificially raise your body temperature.
- Drink hot water before going to the office or the nurse's room.
- Hold the thermometer close to a heat source, like a desk lamp.^{[4]XResearch source}
Consistency is key; repeating a thing makes it more believable. By telling the nurse or a school office worker that the same thing, over and over again might get you sent home, even if your temperature is normal.
When you hear those sweet words, "We're calling your parents," it's easy to lose perspective. If you tip your hand and reveal that you're not really sick by celebrating, you may never be able to use this trick again, or you may even get in trouble.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Claiming Contagion

Download Article

Though some schools may differ, generally, where infectious illnesses are concerned, a student will be sent home if he is infectious rather than risk infecting other students. Pink eye is ideal for these purposes, as it is highly contagious and easy to fake.^{[5]XResearch source}
2
Gather your pink eye faking materials. These should be kept in your locker and applied at some point during the day, like when you take a bathroom break or in between classes. To fake pink eye, you'll need:
- Red lipstick OR
- Hair gel^{[6]XResearch source}
If you are using red lipstick, you'll only need a small amount; too much will be spotted immediately as a fake, so you may want to apply your pink eye product in the bathroom. Rub the lipstick along the lids of a single eye. If you are using hair gel, again, take only a very small amount and rub it along the lids of your eye.^{[7]XResearch source}
If you claim, out of the blue, that you have pink eye, your teacher or the school nurse might doubt you. Instead, have a person on which you can blame your condition, like a cousin you visited over the weekend, or a younger sibling who is still in pre-school.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Inducing Vomiting with Ipecac

Download Article

1
Buy some ipecac syrup at your local pharmacy. Most local pharmacies sell this vomit inducing agent over the counter as a syrup. Ipecac syrup is made from a plant that contains chemicals that irritate your digestive tract and cause your brain to believe that you need to throw up.
- This is a convincing way to get your teacher to send you home from school. The teacher will likely think you are sick and send you home right away.
Depending on the brand of ipecac syrup you buy and the way in which it is administered, there may be special instructions that you need to keep in mind.^{[8]XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitalsGo to source} Taking too much ipecac syrup may have serious health effects, including possible damage to your heart and muscles.
Generally, you should take one to two full glasses of water (8 to 16 ounces) to help the ipecac syrup induce vomiting.^{[9]XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitalsGo to source} It may be an effective strategy for you to keep some ipecac syrup in your locker. This way you can excuse yourself from class for a drink of water or to retrieve a notebook and take your ipecac then.
Milk and even milk based products may reduce the effects of ipecac syrup, so you should avoid these before taking it.^{[10]XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitalsGo to source} Carbonated beverages, on the other hand, can cause your stomach to swell, which may cause discomfort.^{[11]XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitalsGo to source}
5
Take a second dose if vomiting does not occur in 20 to 30 minutes. Generally, ipecac syrup should take effect and cause you to vomit in less than a half hour. If it does not, you can take a second dose with another one to two glasses of water.
- Do not exceed the label recommendations for how much ipecac syrup you take.
While you might be able to get sent home simply by vomiting in the bathroom, if you want to guarantee being sent home, you should vomit in class and in sight of your teacher. Since ipecac syrup can take effect quickly, be sure you have quick and easy access to a garbage can.

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question
Could I use fake vomit or sound like I'm vomiting to get sent home?
Community Answer
Yes, you could. However, if you want to make it realistic, you need to have it in your mouth, so when concocting the fake vomit, make sure you're comfortable with it being in your mouth. How.com.vn has an article on making fake vomit that you could use to get started.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn
Yes No
Not Helpful 20 Helpful 104
Question
What can I do if my nurse is strict?
Community Answer
Personally, I've always said my stomach hurts a lot to get out of school. The whole point is not to fake one specific thing but to convince the nurse that you're in pain or unable to focus in class. As a last resort, just ask them if they will call your parent(s) to see if they're okay with you going home.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn
Yes No
Not Helpful 36 Helpful 139
Question
How can I get out of school if I have a really bad stomachache?
Community Answer
Just tell your teacher or the school nurse that you're really sick and they should let you phone a parent or guardian or someone to take you home.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn
Yes No
Not Helpful 41 Helpful 102

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Tips

Be careful not to be caught when faking an illness. If you are, it will make it much more difficult in the future to fake an illness, and could result in punishment.
Thanks
Helpful7 Not Helpful0
You could also try eating sugarfree candy or chewing sugarfree gum to give you diarrhea. Bear in mind that you WILL get sick from this!
Thanks
Helpful8 Not Helpful0
Wait to go home from school if your parents are doctors, they know when people are really sick.
Thanks
Helpful2 Not Helpful5

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of How.com.vn readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on How.com.vn, please submit it in the field below.

Before you see the nurse, rub your cheeks a lot to get them looking red and flushed. Also, hold your stomach like it really hurts — that'll help make it seem more believable that you're sick. The red cheeks and stomach grabbing are simple things that'll help convince the nurse you're really not feeling good.
To fake a fever, stick a penny under your tongue right before the nurse puts the thermometer in your mouth. The penny will raise the temperature reading by a few degrees, making it look like you have a slight fever. Just don't raise it too high over 100 degrees or the nurse might think something's weird.
Make sure the illness you're faking matches up with anything you've been doing lately. For instance, if you just went camping over the weekend, say you have a rash from poison ivy. Don't pretend you have the flu the day after you were playing video games all weekend - it'll look suspicious.
If you tell the teacher you threw up in the bathroom, they'll probably send you straight to the nurse's office to get checked out. Substitute teachers might not care as much, so go to your regular teacher if you can. They'll be more worried and more likely to send you to the nurse.
No matter who you talk to — the nurse, your parents, etc. — stick to the same story. If you forget what you said and start acting totally fine later, it'll be obvious you were faking and just wanted to skip school.

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

Faking sick during the pandemic will freak people out, and they may falsely accuse you of COVID-19. Plus, if you fake sick, your parents might not believe you when you're really sick.
Thanks
Helpful7 Not Helpful1
Do not take too much ipecac; using more than is recommended on the label can be very harmful for your health.^{[12]XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitalsGo to source}
Thanks
Helpful1 Not Helpful0