15 Better Ways That One Can Say “I Have a Family Matter to Attend To”

‘I have a family matter to attend to’ is a usable phrase said by a person to express that they are taking care of an issue that is family-related.People mostly use ‘I have a family matter to attend to’ when they need to take permission to leave a place at a particular time. Most times it is used in cases of emergency and other times it could just serve as a worthy excuse to leave a place.The phrase, ‘I have a family matter to attend to’, is now actually so common that once used, the person spoken to would just assume it’s an excuse to get out of something. But what if there was a real family emergency, what would you do?At times like this, it would be nice if you knew a better way to communicate the urgency or the need to leave.Thus, in this article, we could be listing out 15 other ways to say, ‘I have a family matter to attend to’ which could be better than just simply saying the phrase.

15 Better ways to say “I have a family matter to attend to”

There are better ways to say, ‘I have a family matter to attend to’ depending on the context or situation you want to use the phrase.Remember, the aim is to ensure that the excuse is well accepted by your boss or whoever you are giving it to. We will be listing some below:

1. “I have a family business”
2. “I have a family crisis”
3. “I have a domestic issue”
4. “I have a household issue”
5. “There is a problem with family”
6. “There’s a private family matter”
7. “There’s trouble at home”
8. “I have an urgent family issue”
9. “I have a family issue. It cannot wait”
10. “I have problems at home that need my presence”
11. “I have to get home. There’s a domestic situation”
12. “A family member ran into a little accident; I have to go”
13. “I have an issue with family. It needs to be resolved”
14. “A family member ran into an emergency”
15. “I have personal reasons. I need to leave urgently”

“I have a family business”

This alternative phrase, ‘I have a family business’ is best used when you don’t want any further questions to be asked concerning your intended absence.Using the word “business” in this context is simply communicating that you don’t want to talk about it; that you’d rather just leave and handle it personally.It could also mean that it is personal, and you’d prefer not to share the info.

“I have a family crisis”

This alternate phrase, ‘I have a family crisis’, is used to describe an emergency that you need to sort out immediately. When you use ‘I have a family crisis’ instead of ‘I have a family matter to attend to’, you are trying to communicate that the matter you want to attend to is very important.It could also mean that a family member or someone you care about is in danger and you need to go help them out. If you do not want to be specific about what the crisis is, you can simply say this and go your way.Perhaps, you do not have that sort of relationship with the person that allows you to share details of the crisis.

“I have a domestic issue”

This alternate way of saying, ‘I have a family matter to attend to’ is used when one is in a professional setting like an office or when one is speaking to someone in higher authority.It is a good way to excuse oneself in an official environment.The good thing about it is that it does not require much explanation as the meaning is clear unless you want the support of the person you are speaking with then you can explain further what the domestic issue is.

“I have a household issue”

‘I have a household issue that needs to be resolved’ is another better alternative phrase to use instead of "I have a family matter to attend to." It can be used both officially and unofficially to mean that the person has an issue at home to settle.Household in this phrase is used as a generic term. This is because it could mean a matter happening at home, but not necessarily to a family member.Anyways, unless your boss does not understand what ‘household issue’ may mean, you would need it explained further. If the person to whom you are speaking is not someone you answer to then end it there.The highest consequence at this point is that they would simply be worried about you. Nevertheless, it is still a better alternative to use especially when you want to sound vague about the issue.

“There’s a private family matter”

‘There’s a private family matter’ is better in the sense that the details of whatever issue the person wants to go, and handle would rather be kept personal. When you say this, you are letting the person know that you’d rather not talk about it.If you were talking to your boss at the office, then this could be a way to respectfully tell them about something private that you want to go and deal with without having them ask you anything further.If perhaps, you had not yet reached the office before the private matter came up, you could send it as an email.This phrase allows you to explain to your boss why you won’t make it to work or to a client why you may not be in the position to assist them anymore without going too much into detail.In fact, the use of the word private will keep them from inquiring further about the matter.

“There’s trouble at home”

Trouble in paradise? Yes, when you have something troublesome at home that you need to go sort out then, you use ‘there’s trouble at home’.The resulting effect of using it is that you are able to communicate the urgency of the situation whilst still clearly stating the reason why you have to leave.No matter who you are speaking with, whether your boss or a client, this phrase lets them know that you will soon be available again, just as soon as you sort out the trouble plaguing your home.Nevertheless, if the trouble needs extra time to sort out, be sure to communicate with them through another means especially if you had asked them to wait for you.

“I have an urgent family issue”

‘I have an urgent family issue’ suggests the seriousness of the issue you want to handle. It also communicates the need for you to leave at the time you want to leave. Another thing it does is privatize whatever it is that is making you leave.That is to say, despite it being serious you want to be vague and keep the main issue out of discussion. While the term, family issue seems too vague when speaking with someone in a higher authority, the word urgent excuses you from having to give an explanation at that immediate time.Although, you may probably be called upon to disclose what the family issue is. However, if you are speaking to an equal – like a coworker – or a junior, then you can simply just use this phrase and not give any further explanation.

“I have a family issue. It cannot wait”

This is another way to say, ‘I have a family matter to attend to’. However, ‘I have a family issue. It cannot wait’ bespoke the urgency of the whole matter.You are simply telling the person that if you do not leave at that moment, there is a probability that something may go wrong.Evidently, while saying this your body language and facial expression will complement the phrase to communicate that you do not have the time to explain further what the issue is. Saying this is immediately accompanied by the person’s immediate exit.

“I have to get home. There’s a domestic situation”

The alternative ‘I have to get home. There’s a domestic situation’, it is constructed to show that you were not anywhere close to home to handle the ‘domestic’ situation.Here, you are telling the person that you need to leave immediately because you probably still have to beat the traffic to try to get home early to take care of the situation.The situation may or may not be life-threatening but it’s still important and the presence of the speaker. It also helps the speaker to be as low-key as possible concerning what he wants to go and handle.It actually leaves a lot to the imagination of the person being spoken to but he or she can’t ask because the speaker does not want to divulge more than necessary.

"A family member ran into a little accident"

Whenever the word ‘accident’ is used, there’s never any need for further explanation. This is because ‘accident’ is a word that everyone associates with unpleasant events.There could be a probability of injury or threat to one’s life. On a lighter note, it could just mean something ‘embarrassing’ that demands the presence of the speaker before it can be sorted.Whatever ‘A family member ran into a little accident; I have to go’ means – based on the context it is used – it shows that because it is an ‘accident’ you will be needing extra time than usual to fully resolve the accident or to stay with the family member till they fully recuperate.If the accident was really serious, you may even need some days off.

“I have an issue with family. It needs to be resolved”

When something needs to be resolved, it means that an acceptable solution needs to be applied to that issue.If a person uses ‘I have an issue with family. It needs to be resolved’, it may mean that there is a problem or little difficulty with a family member that would require his or her presence for it to be resolved.His/her presence could be for moral support, suggesting solutions, action, or any other way in which his/her presence contributes to a solution to the issue at hand.

“A family member ran into an emergency”

Whether on the phone or physically, ‘A family member ran into an emergency, and they need my help’ is used as a matter of urgency.It is used when the speaker has a serious and dangerous occurrence that happens suddenly and would definitely need his or her intervention.The speaker while using this is trying to communicate that he or she needs to act immediately to deal with or handle the emergency.

“I have personal reasons. I need to leave urgently”

This is another great alternative where it concerns people in your professional life. It is a way to categorically state that you are taking permission because you need to leave but because what you wish to handle is not tied to your job or official position you don’t wish to divulge it.‘I have personal reasons. I need to leave urgently’ communicates a certain level of professionalism and gives you room to give respect to whom it is due without having to reveal personal secrets to them – especially if you do not have that sort of relationship with them.

Wrap Up

Using the phrase ‘I have a family matter to attend to’ is an excuse that is not only used at the workplace.If you are with a friend or an acquaintance, it could be a cordial way to dismiss the person or better yet excuse yourself from the meeting.The phrase ‘I have a family matter to attend to’ is not only used physically, but it could also be included in a message sent to a person via email, text messages, or telegram. Whatever method you want to use, ensure you construct the message effectively.Also, whatever your reason for using the phrase, we have listed at least fifteen (15) better ways in which you can use this phrase efficiently depending on the urgency and nature of the situation.