Little pitchers have big ears

Meaning

Little children, listening to conversations of older people,often hear and understand a lot more than people give them credit for

Example

Keep quiet,Jean, not a word more. My little sister has come in, and as you know, little pitchers have big ears.

Origin

The inspiration for this ancient saying comes from the two handles on the side of a pitcher resembling human ears.. Pitchers in this idiom stand for children and the big ears mean they are able to hear and understand more than adults think.