30 Parents Reveal What Secrets Their Kids Are Keeping From Them Without Knowing They're Already Aware Of It

To find out more about hiding behavior in children, Bored Panda reached out to Kimberly Koljat, a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in children 3–12 years of age and believes that anyone can benefit from the work of the creative arts.

Kimberly said that first of all, the context of hiding behaviors is extremely important for understanding a child’s needs. “Developmental age, what is being hidden, relationships, and communication skills are important considerations.”

For example, “If a teen is hiding something from their parents, like objects in their room, they could be playing out behaviors related to a developmental task of 'individuation,' or working on their sense of identity separate from their caregivers.”

Meanwhile, if a child is hiding a photo of their grandparents they cherish, it can be part of “a soothing skill to hold onto their memory related to grief if they passed, or to carry the feeling of them with them while they’re apart,” explained Kimberly.

If a younger child is hiding candy, it could deal with “children testing limits with their caregivers (an important part of development for some children, exploring what boundaries are in place).”

It also depends on what kind of objects your child is hiding, Kimberly says. “Hiding food can be an entirely different behavior, and it’s important to know if there’s previous traumas, such as food scarcity in the family, or if there are other behaviors related to food to consider that could be indicators of disordered eating.”

However, if a caregiver notices a pattern of hiding behavior, parents should “never directly move to reprimanding or punishing a child or directly questioning a child about it.” Kimberly explained that adults' means of expression and conversations will most likely not yield the results they wish for because children work through difficulties in their play.

Kimberly suggests joining the child in play and leading a play session once a week with them. “The child may gain that sense of agency they could be seeking through the hiding behaviors and stop the behaviors outside the play sessions.”

Most importantly, parents should always stay curious about their child’s behavior. Kimberly urges parents to “spend some more positive time with the child to foster a greater sense of trust within the relationship.” In some more difficult cases, the support of a therapist may be the right solution.