Confidence in Stuff

Megan came up to me the other night and said, “Do you want me to keep your kids’ secrets or share things with you?”

I wasn’t sure what she was asking at first. She explained that sometimes my kids confide things in her. And she wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing by keeping it to herself. She said she appreciated that they trusted her with stuff, but in the end her allegiances with more with me than with them.

So I asked if they were telling her things that were dangerous or illegal, and she laughed and said of course not.

I told her to use her best judgement. If she thought they were telling her stuff where it would be better if I was aware and could intervene, then absolutely break their confidence and tell me. But if it was just other small stuff that didn’t matter, then keep it to herself. I’m glad they feel like they can talk to her about things.

But I’ve been laboring over this conversation ever since. I don’t really know what she was hinting at, and I don’t know if I gave the right answer.