Some things you need to hide from your parents, some things you want to hide from your parents-but here are the 12 things you think you should never hide from your parents, even if you need or want to.

1. "If you are caught in a trap that you can't seem to get out of, tell them."
Sharad Roy, Kolkata
You thought drinking or smoking or getting involved with drugs was cool. And for a while it was. Then things started to go wrong. You were losing control. Your fun became a habit, and the habit became an addiction. Now you're in trouble and you don't know what to do. You think you'd rather die than tell your folks. But hey, you gotta remember that they may get furious, upset, disappointed, depressed, whatever, but they're still the only ones you can trust-the only ones who have everything to lose and nothing to gain if something bad happens to you. Quitting an addiction is like being in hell, guys. Your folks are the only ones who'll be willing to make the trip with you.

2. "Happiness, happiness, happiness... if you are happy, tell them."
Aastha Kala, Jaipur
You may tell your parents when you're unhappy or dissatisfied or in the dumps, you may even trust them enough to tell them when you're in deep shit, but do you bother to tell them when you're happy? Most of us usually share our troubles with our folks, but when it's time to share the fun and the joys, we turn to our pals. But your folks are the people who're hurt most when you're hurt and they're likely to be happiest when you're on top of the world. And believe you me, sharing your joy with them is going to make it multiply. So go ahead, make their day.

3. "If you haven't scored well at exams, tell them."
Chirag Bansal, Meerut
You know they have huge expectations from you, you know they've been pushing you, threatening you, prodding you, begging you to study, and you said, 'Hey, I'm an adult, I know what I gotta do.' Now your report card's here, and it doesn't look like you knew what you were doing. Obviously, you want to pretend report cards don't exist and tell them you're in the clear, but sorry buddy. For one, they pay for your education, work hard for it, they have a right to know. Secondly, the ranting and raving and scolding and stuff lasts a few days, but the disappointment of your folks finding out that you did badly and lied to them, lasts forever.

4. "When you're going out with friends, tell them."
Anuj Miglani
Your friends are important to you, so are your folks, and always the twain should meet. You spend a lot of time with your friends, they're a huge influence on who you are, and if your folks don't know them, they're going to worry to death about you-when there may actually be very little to worry about. No, no-one's saying you get your parents to approve of your pals, and you don't have to drop those they don't like, but it's kinda easier for them to trust you when you make them part of your life. Shut them out and they tend to become dictators. Let them in, and they learn to relax.

5. "If you've messed with the law, like stolen something tell them."
Arijit Roychoudhury, Calcutta
How often in life do you see people get away with doing something wrong? And why do you assume it's going to happen to you? If there's stuff you've done that could get you in trouble with the law, by god, tell them-and fast! Some things are way too big to try and get out of yourself, and the more you hide, the deeper in trouble you are. Don't get terrorised by the Hindi movie portrayal of cops. But what is bad is first lying and then getting caught out by the cops. Your folks can prevent that, guys, only your folks. Handle their horror, live with their wrath, but tell them. Serious. And junk the 'I'll kill myself before I tell my folks' attitude. Nothing, not even a lot of trouble, is worth giving away your life for. Now that's what's called irreplaceable.

Your parents must be the only pals who won't sneer at you for being uncool, who won't talk about you when your back is turned, and who won't judge you according to how much cash you are carrying. Added bonus-they never think you're looking anything but gorgeous! Do you wanna miss something this great?!

6. "If you have a serious relationship with a guy/gal, tell them."
Amrita Mehta, Delhi
Your folks may not approve of your relationship, they may threaten suicide and murder all in one breath, but they're still likely to react better than they would if they saw you coochie-cooing at the local movie hall. And believe me, more relationships have died under the fear of telling parents than have actually been killed by the parents themselves. And god forbid your dream relationship were to run into rough weather, at least you'll be able to share your total devastation with them. At the worst of times, they could turn out to be your best friends.

7. "If there's stuff they are likely to find out anyway, tell them yourself."
Anjali K
It's an unspoken rule guys-hide not from your folks what someone else will tell them sooner or later. It doesn't matter whether you think it's serious or not, but if you've done something your folks don't know about-and they're likely to find out another way-tell them yourself. Whatever you have done, you make it a few zillion times worse by hiding it. They can handle whatever you do, but not the embarrassment of being told by a stranger. So you bunked school and got caught, or you cheated on an exam and the invigilator found out, and you can't see yourself confessing to them, first try to visualise your teacher/princi/counsellor calling them to school. Now go, it's confession time!

8. "If you have any special dislikes or preferences, tell them."
Isha Arora, Mumbai
Can't stand the colour pink? Hate it when your folks make commitments on your behalf without asking you? Tell them. Don't be rude about it but express your need for privacy, or that you'd prefer to be asked before they take decisions on your behalf, or that the kind of stuff they pick out for you to wear just doesn't work. Too many of us do things that our parents want us to do out of fear of hurting them. But at some point of time, you won't be able to do it anymore. Just like no two teens are alike-and we spend lots of time trying to drill that into our parents' head-no two sets of folks are alike either. So try to believe that your parents are capable of understanding you if you explain stuff to them. Okay, they may not always agree, but they will at least listen. And that's a start!

9. "If you are feeling low, alone, like no-one cares, tell them."
Rajat Kaushik, Kanpur
Parents love their kids. And though they may disapprove of you, crib to you and about you, when you're low, nothing matters more to them. If you think you can't tell them the reason why you're low, you can still tell them how you feel. They'll understand, they'll care, and they'll try to make it better. if you take your folks into confidence, you have a chance of getting the best friends that could ever exist on this planet. These must be the only pals who won't sneer at you for being 'uncool', who won't talk about you when your back is turned, and who won't judge you according to how much cash you're carrying. Added bonus-they never think you're looking anything but gorgeous! Do you wanna miss something this great?!

10. "If you are in desperate need of money, tell them."
Ruchir Rana, Chandigarh
Okay, so you know your folks will shriek about your out-of-control expenses. About how you must learn to live within your means. And the fact that money doesn't grow on trees. And how your reasons for needing more money are frivolous, blah blah... But the fact is, whether you need cash for a good reason or not, whether you think they'll give it to you or not, your folks are the only ones you should ever trust as far as asking for cash is concerned. Desperation for money can make people do stupid things, and the only way you can avoid that is to tell the folks when you need some. Even if you don't get it in the end!

11. "If you don't want to do a certain course or take up a field of study, tell them."
Ajay Rathore, Mumbai
You hate Economics? Or can't stand Bio? Or simply aren't cut out for Computers? Tell your folks. In the long run it doesn't work to do things for the sake of others-you have to want to do it for a lifetime, and for yourself. Why waste your time and their money on something that isn't likely to work? Okay, so they may be disappointed, but that's sure better than you facing a lifetime of misery, and making them miserable in the process. If you're sure you have no aptitude or interest in something that they want you to do, see a counsellor or take an aptitude test. That may prove to them that you're not being defiant, just wise.

12. "If you've lied to your parents, tell them."
Ruchi Saxena, Bangalore
Say you thought there was something you couldn't tell your folks. So you lied-and they didn't find out! Well, now is your chance to tell them. Why would you want to tell them? For one, lies have a way of coming back to haunt you a long time later. Secondly, the punishment is a little less severe when you've voluntarily disclosed your own deviousness. Also, you always have to remember what exactly you said, just so that you don't tell a different story later. And lastly, there's the little matter of the load on your conscience. When you lie, you lose your parents' trust, which is not exactly a very easy thing to live without. By admitting to the lie, you help regain a little of it.