Lucy's Top Ten Homework Excuses:

If you need something besides “My dog ate it,” see examples below:

1 - My printer isn’t working, and it could take up to a week to fix. (Present an empty print cartridge for corroborating evidence.)

2 - I've been advised against doing any homework because a bad grade could damage my already fragile self-esteem.

3 - I’m practicing nonconformity. Since most of the students did their homework, completing it would make me a conformist.

4 - I had symptoms of illness last night, and when I googled it, it said I had West Nile.

5-  - I found the assignment particularly uninspiring and didn’t see how it aligned with the standards, so I read the dictionary instead.

6 - Shhh. I’m a superhero and out on duty.

7 - I used invisible ink and didn’t realize it would be an issue.

8 - My thyroid is acting up.

9 - Okay, I’m sorry, but the directions were just not clear, unless this assignment was on the virtues of ambiguity.

10 - We had homework?


If all else fails, “No, seriously, the dog ate my homework.”

Helpful Hints:

*Keep your poker face on.

*Cry on the spot.

*Believe in what you’re saying.

*Always say it with a tone of respect (or at least fake it!)


(From Lucy and CeCee's How to Survive (and Thrive) in Middle School)