How to Sneak Out While You're Grounded

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Last Updated: December 8, 2025

Sneaking out isn't too difficult, but you should think twice before doing it. You can get into trouble if someone catches you, and your grounding can be extended considerably. More importantly, the reason you're sneaking out can cause trouble or even danger if it's to do something you're not meant to be doing. So, as long as you've thought through the consequences, here are some ways to sneak out.

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Preparation

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It isn't a good idea to be out until 5 am on a school night. Even if you never get caught, you will be tired all throughout school in the morning, which could lead to further punishment. You want to pick a day when you have nothing to do the next day.
A well-thought-out plan is essential for your success here, so figure out what route you will take out of the house. Are your parents likely to check on you through the night? What time will you leave and be back by? How will you avoid the family pet? How will you get down those creaky stairs without waking anyone? How will you come back into the house? What will you do if you get caught? Think of everything that might be a problem and include it in your plan.

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Make it look as if you're still in your room. Ever heard of the famous Alcatraz Prison Escape of 1962? The perpetrators made fake heads and placed them on their beds to make it look like they were sleeping. This successfully fooled the guards; their flight from the prison wasn't discovered until the following morning, and the 3 men haven't been seen since. While you don't need to be this dramatic, setting up your bed to make it look like you are still there could save you if your parents decide to check on you. While up close, it will be obviously not you; from afar, you might be able to fool your parents, especially if they are tired.
- If you have a sibling that you can trust, have them sleep in your bed until you get back. This could work especially well if your sibling is identical to you.
Bribe them or tell them that you're going out to "check the stars"/"water the plants" if they spot you leaving. If possible, have your brother/sister stay up and call you if your parents realize you are missing. It's always best to come back A.S.A.P. when you are already caught. Your parents will get worried and maybe even call the police, which may cause more issues for you.
You don't want your parents to think that anything is going on, so go to bed as you normally would, same time, same routine, same clothes, same everything. This is especially true if you have a history of staying up later than you should.
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Leave supplies under your bed ahead of time. Rather than risking getting caught and gathering supplies after your parents sleep, you should slowly move supplies into your room and into a hiding space that they are unlikely to check in the days and hours leading up to you sneaking out. Move snacks, spare clothes, etc, into your room and hide them, preferably when your parents are preoccupied with something else.
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Tell a minimum number of people about your plans. The more people you tell, the more people there are to snitch on you! Only tell people that you trust about your plans, and make sure that it is clear that it is for their ears only.

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Leaving the house

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1
Be sure that your parents are asleep before starting. You don't want to reach the door, only to turn around and see your dad behind you, ready to ground you. Wait at least an hour after they fall asleep, and once they are, creep through the house, being careful not to wake anyone. If you are unsure if your parents are asleep, put your ear up to their door and see if they are snoring. If not, go back to your room and wait a bit.
- If you know what time your parents usually go to sleep, use that to your advantage and leave around an hour or two after that time.
In case your parents catch you before you leave, you need to lie and say you were going to the bathroom. You want to have the clothes they last saw you in, not the ones you plan to wear to the party, or wherever you are going. You can switch to your party clothes after leaving the house.
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Disable the security system. Chances are, you have an alarm in your house, and this will go off if you go out the door. Disable it once your parents go to sleep to avoid them finding it switched off. Don't attempt to enable it just yet, as the sound might wake your parents up.
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Open the door and leave quietly. Once you are sure everything is clear, now is the time to leave. Open the door slowly, and tiptoe out the door. Only open the door as much as it needs to be for you to fit through, and close it quietly when you leave. Once you are out, proceed with the next step.
- Put your shoes on once you leave the house. Walking with shoes on will make your footsteps a lot louder, increasing the chances of you waking somebody up.
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Disguise yourself. While you don't need to completely change your appearance, you want to make it so that if anyone outside sees you, they won't recognise you, at least not immediately. Put a hat on that covers your hair, wear dark colours, or wear clothes you otherwise don't wear. Just be sure not to make yourself look like a criminal; otherwise, getting caught by your parents will be the least of your worries.
- Go to sleep wearing these clothes, so you don't have to change in the house or outside.
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Change into your party clothes only once it is safe. Usually, it might be better to do this once you arrive at your destination, so your disguise will be effective. If your friends ask why you are disguised, explain that it is so you won't get caught when leaving.

Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Avoiding getting caught

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Commonplace at parties and other venues is alcohol. It may be tempting to, but stay away from alcohol. Alcohol can inhibit your ability to make decisions safely, and if you get caught by your parents, they will not be happy that you are drunk as well as having snuck out.
Once you escape the house, you still run the risk of a neighbour seeing you and telling your parents (or worse, thinking you are a criminal and calling the police). Try to leave the vicinity of your parents' house as fast as possible. Use public transportation if it is operational, as this will allow a speedy exit if timed correctly.
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Don't draw unnecessary eyes to yourself. You don't want people to see you and think, "Hang on, is he supposed to be there?" Once you are away, take off your disguise if it is safe to do so (and as long as you won't be exposing yourself sexually). Don't do anything that ordinary people out at that time wouldn't do, and try to avoid areas where you know the police regularly patrol.
The perfect plan can be ruined by forgetting to turn off location services or accidentally posting on social media when you are supposed to be asleep. Make sure you remember to keep location services off, and be careful when posting on social media. If your parents might see the post, they will deduce that you posted at an unknown location while you were supposed to be sleeping. Remember to tell your friends not to involve you in any posts they make, as this can also lead to your discovery.
Any social media posts that were posted need to be deleted. If you were wearing different clothes than the ones you were wearing when you "went to bed", change back to the old ones. If you opened a window when you left, close it. Make sure there is nothing to indicate that anything is amiss with your parents.
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Don't brag. It may be tempting to post on social media that you snuck out last night and didn't get caught, or to run around school telling your friends, but remember, you never know who might see your posts, or who might overhear your conversations. Someone could easily see your posts and tell your parents, or the school bully or the principal could overhear you bragging and tell your parents.
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Be prepared for consequences ahead of time. Since you are already grounded, if you get caught sneaking out, you could have your grounding extended, along with other punishments. Keep this in mind while sneaking out, and think twice. If you must sneak out, prepare a survival kit in case you do get a hefty punishment.
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Don't sneak out too often. It goes without saying that you shouldn't do this every night you are grounded. The more you do it, the more likely it is that you slip up and get caught. Additionally, staying up late often can have long-term negative health effects that you should be avoiding, so one time might be OK, but every night is a no-no.

Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Returning home

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1
Change out of your party clothes before returning home. In the event that you walk in and find your parents waiting for you there, the last thing you want is for them to see that you have returned from a party. You might be able to weasel out of a severe punishment with some of the steps below if you don't seem like you have been to a party, but you won't be able to if it is obvious you went to a party.
Remember, if you look tired in the morning after supposedly getting a good night's sleep, your parents may think you were up to something last night. Coming home really late, or early, for that matter, also increases the chance that someone will have woken up and realised that you are missing, so please, be home by 2-3 am at the latest.
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Have an excuse ready in case you get caught. Despite your best efforts, you may still get caught. You should have an excuse prepared ahead of time so that if you walk in and find your parents waiting for you, you have a pre-made excuse. Say that a friend called and really needed to talk, or something like that.
- Be aware that you might still get in trouble, and even if you don't, this devious trick will likely only work once.
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Enter quietly. As you did when leaving, only open the door as much as you need to, and remove your shoes before entering. Refrain from setting the alarm, as your parents may hear you turning it back on. Be prepared for a significant chance that your parents may be waiting at the front door for you, but if they aren't, you might be in the clear.
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Walk quietly back to your room. If you don't walk in to find your parents waiting for you, now is the time to get back to your room. Tiptoe through the house, again being mindful of the possibility that your parents might be waiting in your room. Be wary of creaky floors and pets that could wake your parents.
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Delete the evidence before you go to bed. If there is any evidence left, such as text messages, erase it before going to bed. You don't want your parents finding it the next morning.
- Erase all your text messages. Having an empty inbox looks less suspicious than one without messages for the last 24 hours.
Removing the decoy you left in your bed, if you left one, now go to bed. You will need the sleep, and give yourself a pat on the back; you just snuck out without being caught while grounded!

Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

If trouble arises

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1
Have a backup plan. What happens if you end up lost in the middle of nowhere? What happens if a neighbour sees you? Prepare for these possibilities ahead of time, and the real possibility that you will have to call somebody if this does happen. Think about what could happen if your friends ditch you. Do you have somebody else trusted who you can trust not to snitch that you can call?
- Think about your options carefully. Calling your parents might get you grounded, but it is better than calling the police and having all hell break loose (which will end with your parents getting called anyway).
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Be cooperative with authority. If the police walk up and stop you because you are violating curfew (which depends on your age and your location), do your best to cooperate with them. Be honest about whether drugs or alcohol were used, and answer their questions.
- If you are let off with only a warning, it is in your best interests to go straight home. There is a small chance that they won't call your parents, so consider yourself extremely lucky if this happens.
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Deal with your parents if they call. If you are midway through a party, and your parents call, let them know that you are fine. You might not have to get them to pick you up right away, but if they don't believe you and think you are in danger, all hell might break loose, so it is a good idea to go home.
- Make sure your story is believable. Your parents aren't dumb and won't believe you if you say you were abducted by an alien.
If you get caught and say that your friend called and needed to talk, your parents might believe you the first time, but they probably won't the second time and onwards, especially if it becomes a frequent occurrence. Use different alibis next time you get caught, but remember, there is a limited number of times before your parents will know you're lying!

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Tips

Be very careful, don't underestimate your parents, because they probably did the same things when they were your age.

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Don't make it seem like you really wanted to go out that night, because if you do, they are more likely to check on you.

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If you think it will help, try acting sick or really tired and pretend to go to sleep early; they might even go to sleep earlier than usual if they don't have to worry about you trying to leave.

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Warnings

Since you will probably be out past curfew, don't be out on the streets where you are more obvious to police.

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Be warned: if you get caught sneaking out of the house while grounded, you're likely to get into even more trouble.

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Being out on the streets can be dangerous, especially at night and/or if you are alone.

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If you have an alarm system, make sure that it is disarmed or that the window you sneak out of doesn't have an alarm on it. If you do not know the code, you may be able to disable the alarm by cutting the power to your house (know where the main switch is), although some systems have a battery backup.

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Be wary of video doorbells. Many people have these now, and they detect motion. If your family has one of these, turn off the Internet before leaving, and turn it back on when you return.

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Avoid telling anyone about what you did. Whether it's your friends, your teacher, or your siblings, they may rat you out to your parents, or tell someone who, in turn, may tell your parents.

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