To want to know your not-drinking excuses

[Lambzig]

I need an excuse for not drinking when I visit my d parents next weekend.

My father usually starts in on the gin and tonics at the stroke of 6, opens a few bottles with dinner and gets the cognac out with dessert. Usually this is lovely (except he gets a bit argumentative by coffee), but I cant drink at the moment, and dont want to tell him why, and need a good excuse - the old antibiotics excuse wont wash.

Has anyone got a good excuse?

I've given up on trying to give excuses as people always seem to assume something different ... I've had long periods of not being able to drink over many years due to various meds I'm on for a life long condition - people know about the condition but everytime assume I'm pregnant (ps I have a completely flat stomach but a huge bottom so it's not like they are making a guess due to something else)

I had to take pills for labrynthitis and you're not allowed to drink with them.

That's the excuse I'm using just now!

ooh, I like the bet idea madam. Its just the sort of control freak, competitive behaviour that he might just buy from me.

Are you driving there? designated driver? some reason has come up that you can't stop the night?

Tell him you have a terrible period (say this in hushed tones of course) and if he's anything like my dad was, he'll spontaneously combust at the mere mention of any 'lady' problems.

Failing that, I'll come with you and swap glasses cos your dad sounds totally splendid.

I find that making as little fuss as possible works best - so just say 'oh, not for me thanks - so anyway, how is [topic of interest]'. Or if they press you, just 'oh, no, I won't thanks, I was wondering how [topic of interest] is'.

The less you dwell on it, the less they can push you.

Good luck.

If you already have a dc then not drinking because dh is away. As our dc was ill a lot one of us always needed to be completely sober.

say you're on a diet - no booze allowed, limited carbs etc (whatever works for you!)

Anti biotics for a tooth infection, or something not obvious. That always works for me.

I agree with abrakedabra - I never turned down drinks when I was pregnant. I quickly learnt that people can't see you turn down a drink without obsessively hunting down the reason, but that if you accept a drink, no one ever notices whether you actually drink it. Take tiny sips and then take it with you when you go to the loo - it's ideal if you can top it up with something that looks similar - e.g., tonic water, but even if it's going from almost full to empty during loo trips, noone will notice. Swap frequently with your partner - at the table, you can just put your drinks near each other, no one will notice that he always picks up the fuller one. Or just drink v slowly, and when asked if you want a top-up, just make a joke about how you've been talking too much, or something, so you're not ready for one yet.

Say you drank so much last weekend you ended up passed Out in a pool of vomit and can not face another drink. And actually your urine is still bloodstained so you had better detox !

Yes, are you driving there? Will you be staying the night? Perhaps you could say you are having to do your friend a huge favour and give them a lift somewhere very early in the morning? Then the next day either go for a quick spin around, or just tell them that your friend text you to say the plans had been cancelled/other arrangements made.

Staying for the weekend (2 nights) so cant do driving thing. iismum totally agree, if i just refused my father would not let it go until he knew why.

Might say that I dont like to drink too much with DH away and DD in a new bed (which she will be) in case she wakes up a lot.

why the fuck does anyone need an excuse to turn down a drink?

I vote cystitis too - or even the more vague 'women's plumbing problems'

A big night out earlier in the week with a bit of alcohol poisoning.

It would help if you had an accomplice, but I agree with those who say 'Accept all drinks' and figure out later what to do with them. I was pregnant and not drinking at a big, boozy anniversary party for my parents in the autumn - am older, so we were waiting till after we had the results of the nuchal and blood tests before telling anyone - and much the easiest thing to do was to accept top-ups and either switch glasses discreetly with my partner, or wander off to another table to chat and leave my glass somewhere.

More awkward for you, if you don't have someone in the know around, but if a lot of this drinking is happening at home, you can take your glass with you to the kitchen or something, and get rid of the contents. (Or some of the contents - if you keep emptying glasses, people keep topping up...)

Agree with lent - however, it's your parents, do people really keep it from their own parents until 3 months?

Also yes!

id go with lent...or lie dc has been waking with nitemares and sleepwalking and you need to be on the ball in case wakes up

like the cystitis excuse

Say that you're worried about your excessive drinking so you're giving it up for 1 month to see if you can or if you are an alcoholic. I used this one and (worryingly) most people believed me! Or say you'