diff --git a/control.go b/control.go
index 34e5c84..52202b7 100644
--- a/control.go
+++ b/control.go
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ type Control interface {
 	preferredSize(d *sizing) (width, height int)
 	resize(x int, y int, width int, height int, d *sizing)
 	nTabStops() int		// used by the Windows backend
+
+	// these are provided for Tab on Windows, where we have to show and hide the individual tab pages manually
+	// if we ever get something like a SidebarStack of some sort, we'll need to implement this everywhere
+	containerShow()	// show if and only if programmer said to show
+	containerHide()	// hide regardless of whether programmer said to hide
 }
 
 type controlbase struct {
@@ -15,6 +20,8 @@ type controlbase struct {
 	fpreferredSize		func(d *sizing) (width, height int)
 	fresize			func(x int, y int, width int, height int, d *sizing)
 	fnTabStops		func() int
+	fcontainerShow	func()
+	fcontainerHide		func()
 }
 
 // children should not use the same name as these, otherwise weird things will happen
@@ -34,3 +41,11 @@ func (c *controlbase) resize(x int, y int, width int, height int, d *sizing) {
 func (c *controlbase) nTabStops() int {
 	return c.fnTabStops()
 }
+
+func (c *controlbase) containerShow() {
+	c.fcontainerShow()
+}
+
+func (c *controlbase) containerHide() {
+	c.fcontainerHide()
+}
diff --git a/control_windows.go b/control_windows.go
index ffe0222..8661e50 100644
--- a/control_windows.go
+++ b/control_windows.go
@@ -19,12 +19,18 @@ type controlSingleHWND struct {
 func newControlSingleHWND(hwnd C.HWND) *controlSingleHWND {
 	c := new(controlSingleHWND)
 	c.controlbase = &controlbase{
-		fsetParent:	c.xsetParent,
-		fresize:		c.xresize,
-		fnTabStops:	func() int {
+		fsetParent:		c.xsetParent,
+		fresize:			c.xresize,
+		fnTabStops:		func() int {
 			// most controls count as one tab stop
 			return 1
 		},
+		fcontainerShow:	func() {
+			C.ShowWindow(c.hwnd, C.SW_SHOW)
+		},
+		fcontainerHide:		func() {
+			C.ShowWindow(c.hwnd, C.SW_HIDE)
+		},
 	}
 	c.hwnd = hwnd
 	return c
diff --git a/grid.go b/grid.go
index 9e68e66..06951a8 100644
--- a/grid.go
+++ b/grid.go
@@ -178,6 +178,18 @@ func (g *grid) setParent(p *controlParent) {
 	g.container.setParent(p)
 }
 
+func (g *grid) containerShow() {
+	for _, c := range g.controls {
+		c.control.containerShow()
+	}
+}
+
+func (g *grid) containerHide() {
+	for _, c := range g.controls {
+		c.control.containerHide()
+	}
+}
+
 // builds the topological cell grid; also makes colwidths and rowheights
 func (g *grid) mkgrid() (gg [][]int, colwidths []int, rowheights []int) {
 	gg = make([][]int, g.ymax)
diff --git a/simplegrid.go b/simplegrid.go
index aac2586..e5aa5eb 100644
--- a/simplegrid.go
+++ b/simplegrid.go
@@ -124,6 +124,22 @@ func (g *simpleGrid) setParent(parent *controlParent) {
 	g.container.setParent(parent)
 }
 
+func (g *simpleGrid) containerShow() {
+	for _, cc := range g.controls {
+		for _, c := range cc {
+			c.containerShow()
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (g *simpleGrid) containerHide() {
+	for _, cc := range g.controls {
+		for _, c := range cc {
+			c.containerHide()
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (g *simpleGrid) resize(x int, y int, width int, height int, d *sizing) {
 	max := func(a int, b int) int {
 		if a > b {
diff --git a/stack.go b/stack.go
index f210ec8..6b028a6 100644
--- a/stack.go
+++ b/stack.go
@@ -85,6 +85,18 @@ func (s *stack) setParent(parent *controlParent) {
 	s.container.setParent(parent)
 }
 
+func (s *stack) containerShow() {
+	for _, c := range s.controls {
+		c.containerShow()
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *stack) containerHide() {
+	for _, c := range s.controls {
+		c.containerHide()
+	}
+}
+
 func (s *stack) resize(x int, y int, width int, height int, d *sizing) {
 	var stretchywid, stretchyht int