People say, some things are better left unsaid, which seems more true than ever when it comes to telling parents things you reeaaally don’t want them to know. Whether it’s questionable life choices, or quests you wish you never took part in, it often looks like it would be best to keep them to yourself for the sake of both yourself and your folks.
Members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community have opened up about things they wouldn’t want their parents to know after one of them started a discussion on the topic, and they got quite honest about it. Their stories ranged from petty theft and blaming their siblings to confessions way deeper and more emotional than that, so if you, too, have something you don’t want to share with your folks, scroll through the list below to see that you’re definitely not alone.
Below you will also find our interview with Associate Professor at Columbia Business School, author of The Secret Life of Secrets, Michael Slepian, who was kind enough to answer a few of Bored Panda’s questions on keeping secrets from parents.
anon , Louis Droege / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
thisismythrowaway_ , Eli Solitas / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
mfchipley , Tran Mau Tri Tam / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
In a piece for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Michael Slepian suggested that as many as “97% of people are keeping a significant secret at any given time, with the average person having about 13 secrets”, and added that children develop the ability to keep secrets at around the age of five.
DIS_IS_GARBAGE , Sincerely Media / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
sorrytosaythat , Ander Burdain / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
FerDaLuvaGawd , FerDaLuvaGawd Report
“Secrecy becomes a problem when children keep their struggles secret,” the secrecy expert continued. “If a child is struggling at school, with a substance, or with mental health, keeping the secret works against getting the very help that they need. If the secret deals with something smaller, a private possession or a secret joy, this is a normal part of childhood development, carving out a domain that separates oneself from one’s parents and family.”
JaJH Report
lolipop69 , Alexander Grey / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
anon , Mansur Omar / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
“Angry outbursts and cruel punishments in response to disclosures may close the door on future confessions,” Slepian pointed out. “But when children believe that their parents will express understanding and compassion, they will be more likely to disclose, confide, and ask for help when they need it.”
anon , Ev / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
doesntreallymatteryo , Honey Fangs / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
Theonethatgotherway , Alexander Grey / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
hotsy__totsy , Jonathan Borba / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
ThatGuyIsTall , the cazpian / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
curlysuethrowaway Report
i_am_sexbot Report
SamePotato , Clay Banks / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
christwhatamess , Luma Pimentel / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
FunkyFireStarter , Matt Mech / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
anon Report
StopItJeca Report
breakyourwings Report
cptsexpanther , José Ignacio Pompé / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
anon , Ioann-Mark Kuznietsov / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
Pram75 , Smart Araromi / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
Melissajoanshart , Giorgio Trovato / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
thelarge1 Report
anon , Eva Bronzini / pexels (not the actual photo) Report
anon Report
anon , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report
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