Well it’s official, children misbehave the most around this parent

Can't say that I'm surprised.

If you've ever been handed back your child by their minder only to be told they were as good as gold and thought 'what my child?' you're not alone. When I'm at home my youngest insists on being in my arms at all times and will scream bloody murder if she doesn't get her way. You can imagine my surprise then when I come home from work and hear from her dad that she quietly played in the sitting room with her brother all day. What?! Yes, it seems our little darlings are much more likely to misbehave for mum than anybody else and science has come to back it up. According to child psychologist Dr Heather Wittenberg explains children save their best and their worst for their parents.

"They’re their ‘true selves’ with us. It takes energy to ‘be good’ and follow the rules, especially for young children, so when they get home, they let it all hang out. The good news is that their deepest love, affection, admiration, and goofiness are reserved for us, too."

I think she may be sugar coating it there with that last part, but apparently, it is actually a good sign that our children act up when they're around mum. The reason that they behave this way around their mother, in particular, is because they feel safe and secure. Similar to us adults, children put on a front for the rest of the world but unleash their true feelings on those that they feel most comfortable around, whether those emotions be good or bad. If your child seems like a demon for you while they are an angel for everyone else, it simply means that they know you will always love them unconditionally, even at their worst. Maybe it's just me but it seems like us mums are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to our kids letting us know that we're doing a good job. Last year I discovered that feeling secure around mum is why babies say dada before mama and now it's the reason why they misbehave for us too? Oh well, I guess it'll be nice the next time my child decides to throw the world's biggest hissy fit to think 'ah look she feels safe and secure in my love.' Do your children act up more for mum than everybody else?