Once in a while, a family issue comes up that requires your urgent attention. Your child’s nanny might call in sick at the last minute, your brother might have had an accident, or some family member might require your help with handling an appointment.
Better still, your relative might have just died or fallen ill. One thing or the other always pops up once in a while, and then you might have to quickly leave whatever you’re doing, be it work or friends to attend to the family issue.
And you’re probably wondering, what can I tell my boss? How do I leave a meeting halfway to attend to my family? How do I take an excuse to leave my friends who are having a jolly good time? Here’s your rescue;
15 Better Ways to Say “I Have A Family Matter to Attend To”
- I have a family emergency, I need to rush.
- I have a family business I urgently need to attend to.
- Excuse me, a situation just popped up that requires my attention.
- Some household issues just occurred and I have to leave.
- Some personal circumstances just occurred, and I have to be there.
- I’m really sorry, but I’ll have to leave because some family problems came up
- I have a personal obligation that just came up that I quickly need to perform.
- For some personal reasons, I’ll have to leave.
- I have some urgent family troubles I have to go
- There’s a family affair that requires my immediate presence.
- Some Stuff I’m not at liberty to say came up, I really have to go now.
- There’s a little trouble at home I have to settle.
- Some Domestic situations came up.
- I have a private matter that requires me to be there
- Some Personal emergency requires my attention
‘I have a family emergency, I need to rush’
Saying “I have a family emergency” is a quick way to receive permission to leave work, or excuse yourself from any gathering, since everyone can easily understand that an emergency requires you to be there almost immediately.
The better thing is that you don’t have to give details on what exactly happened, if they still ask for an explanation, you can say something like, “Can’t we leave that for later, I really have to be there now”.
It’s one of the easiest ways for a quick escape to leave any place or thing behind, because of the word, “emergency”.
‘I have a family business I urgently need to attend to’
“I have a family business I urgently need to attend to” is one of the best replies you can give instead of saying you have a family matter.
Using an emergency as good as it is, might make the other party concerned and worried, especially if the person is a family member or friend that cares for you.
An even better one is to say instead, “family business”. This would make the person less worried, while he/she also understands that you have to leave to attend to some family matter.
This is also a brilliant excuse to leave a meeting, as it sounds more formal and convincing. Also, it doesn’t make it seem like just an excuse to leave that place, it sounds genuine.
‘Excuse me, a situation just popped up that requires my attention’
“Excuse me, a situation just popped up that requires my attention” is an even better, convincing, and standard way of saying “I have a family matter to attend to”.
It might be that you don’t even want the person to know that it’s a family issue, then you can just say, “A situation popped up”. While concealing the true situation and event you can use this statement.
It also points out that whatever happens requires your attention and you have to go. Anybody with a kind heart will be understanding enough to let you go.
Starting with “Excuse me”, makes it even more polite and respectful, since you’re indirectly also seeking their permission to leave by asking for an excuse.
‘Some household issues just occurred and I have to leave’
“Some household issues just occurred and I have to go” is yet another polite, convincing, and considerable substitute for family matters. Probably whatever happened is more domestic, maybe the house caught fire, or your child is stranded somewhere.
Whatever it might be, this is a better way of saying it. Saying it just occurred is also good since it gives the other person an understanding that it was sudden to you too.
This reply is good if you are already in the meeting or if you’re just about to go. The other party would be concerned enough to let you go, since saying household, shows that it is your immediate family that requires your attention.
“Some personal circumstances just occurred and I have to be there”
Instead of saying “I have a family matter to attend to”, it is easier, preferable, and more understandable to say “some personal circumstance just occurred”.
Since it’s personal, they’re less likely to ask what the real issue is and you can easily be excused. If you’ve scheduled a meeting before this occurred, stating that even an event just occurred is important, so they understand that it is beyond your control.
The word circumstance shows that another event has occurred that is affecting your present schedule since you’ll have to leave where you are to go to where your attention is urgently needed.
‘For some personal reasons, I’ll have to leave’
“For some personal reasons, I’ll have to leave” is an even better way to say you “have a family matter”. The word ‘personal’ makes people not want to question further.
The use of the word ‘reason’, makes them understand that you’re not just leaving like that, but that rather you have a reason; an important reason at that to leave wherever you are.
This use of words here makes it obvious that the reasons are obviously beyond your control and would require your attention.
This is a good excuse to leave a meeting, or your place of work to attend to your family issues that you urgently need to attend to.
I have a personal obligation that just came up that I quickly need to perform
“I have a personal obligation that just came up and I quickly need to perform it” is a cunningly clever statement you can use in place of “family matter.” An obligation is something you must do because of a law, promise, or rule or because it is morally right.
Therefore using obligation will make them understand that it is a must for you to leave that place. Again, stating that it just came up is important so they understand that it was something beyond your control.
Also, using quickly is very wise and you make them realize the urgency of the situation and allow you to quickly go. This is one of the best substitutes you can use instead of saying “family troubles”.
I’m really sorry, but I’ll have to leave because some family problems came up
Saying “family problems” is a very suitable substitute to use for “family matters”. Apologizing is very important, since you’ll either be keeping people waiting or bailing on them at the last minute.
It also shows that you’re apologetic for leaving just like that. Also if you say “family problems”, people will understand that you really have to be there since family comes first before any other thing.
Try to be polite and apologetic when saying this, so whoever you are excusing yourself from understands that you really have to go and that it is not your fault that you have to leave unexpectedly.
‘I have some urgent family troubles I have to settle’
“I have some urgent family troubles I have to settle” is a proper and capable phrase you can use instead of saying you have “family matters”.
You might have to take an excuse from work to quickly settle something at home, and instead of saying, you have a family matter you say, I have some urgent family trouble to settle.
If you just said you have a family matter to settle, your boss might begin to question if such a matter can’t wait till you’re done with work, but this exact phrase makes him understand that the matter has to be settled now.
He will also understand that whatever family trouble will require you to take an excuse from work to settle immediately, must be important.
‘There’s a family affair that requires my immediate presence’
Instead of saying you have a family matter to attend to, you can as well say you have “a family affair that requires your immediate presence”.
A family affair is a matter that concerns or involves your family. If he probes you more, you can quickly give him a brief explanation, such as, “I quickly have to get lunch for my sick wife in the hospital”.
Since it requires your immediate attention, it will only be wicked for whoever you’re with to refuse you to leave.
‘Some Stuff I’m not at liberty to say came up, I really have to go now.’
This might not be as compelling as others, but it’s rather an informal way of saying you have a family matter. If you probably don’t want the person to have any idea at all about what is going on, maybe you don’t even want the person to know that it’s a personal issue.
Or an acquaintance that you don’t want to spill anything on, this is a perfect substitute for family matters in cases like this.
But it is not suitable for a formal gathering from which you want to excuse yourself, rather you can use it among friends, family, acquaintances, or colleagues.
There’s a little trouble at home I have to settle
“There’s a little trouble at home I have to settle” is yet another more convincing way of saying you have a family matter.
This means that something disturbing happened at home or among a family member and you have to be there.
It will help to apologize first and say, ” I’m really sorry, but I have a little trouble at home, I have to go” Showing your regrets for leaving when you are not yet supposed to is very important, as it will not give the person an impression that you just found and excuse to leave or that you’re not accountable, trustworthy or dependable.
This is an especially good substitute when talking to someone who actually cares about you, so you don’t leave the person concerned and worried. Saying it’s just a little trouble doesn’t make them too worried.
“Some Domestic situation came up”
Another brilliant and even better way of saying you have a “family matter” is to say you have a “domestic situation”.
Domestic means it is related to your home or family, so it might basically mean the same thing, but the presentation is different, which makes a large difference in the outcome.
Although, If you want to take an excuse from a boss, you might have to give a more detailed explanation.
‘I have a private matter that requires me to be there’
“I have a private matter that requires me to be there” is a more appealing and effective way of saying you have a “family matter to deal with”.
Since something private is not supposed to be general knowledge, they are not likely to probe further. The most beautiful thing about this substitute is that you can use it anywhere and in any situation.
You can use it to excuse yourself from among your colleagues, friends, family, your boss, or a business meeting.
“Some personal emergency requires my attention”
“Some personal emergency requires my attention” is a considerable and pleasant way of saying “family matters.”
Although you’re not directly asking for an excuse, only a plain wicked person will not give you permission to leave for something you call an emergency.
Wrap Up
There are better ways to say you have a family matter than to keep repeating the same thing each time something comes up.
The most important thing is not just the words, but the way and manner you’re saying it. Whichever phrase you choose to use, use it politely, with a note of apology and urgency.
More importantly, when you make too many excuses, people become weary and would think you’re just making excuses.