Children should hear, see, and say nothing.

The saying demands that children refrain from listening to, watching, or speaking about matters around them. Its threefold command makes silence only one part of the expected restraint.

It expresses a strict view of how children should behave, especially when they might notice or repeat something others would rather keep private. The wording is deliberately sweeping rather than a practical instruction to ignore everything.

Use it to convey a stern expectation that children not pry into a matter or pass along what they notice. It can also be quoted critically when that expectation seems too severe.