When the cat's away, the mice will play: o que significa?

Hi everyone, I know that some children like to have some free moments without adult supervision to do what they want, that's why the proverb "when the cat's away, the mice will play" is so important . This proverb not only applies for children, but also for any people who has some supervision, for example the boss and his employees. In Portuguese we say: "quando o gato sai, os ratos fazem a festa". 

So let's see some examples:

I'm worried about the kids alone at home, you know when the cat's away, the mice will play.

Estou preocupado com as crianças sozinhas em casa, você sabe, quando o gato sai, os ratos fazem a festa.

As soon as the boss left the office, the employees started to talk. Well, when the cat's away, the mice will play.

Logo que o chefe saiu do escritório, os empregados começaram a conversar. Bem, quando o gato sai, os ratos fazem a festa.

That's all for now. See you!

Categories: PROVERBS, VOCABULARY