Why children tell one parent everything but hide things from the other

“Mom already knows.” “Dad doesn't need to know.” Some children seem to have a clear choice about which parent gets to hear the full story. They may talk freely with one parent about school, friends, mistakes, crushes, arguments or something embarrassing that happened during the day. But when the other parent asks the same question, the conversation suddenly becomes much shorter. It can leave parents wondering: Why does my child tell them everything but barely tell me anything? Research on parent-child disclosure suggests that children do not necessarily share the same information with both parents. The difference can depend on the subject, the relationship they have with each parent and, importantly, how they expect the parent to respond.Children learn what happens after they talkA child does not need to consciously think, “Mum will react better than Dad” every time they decide whom to approach.