diff --git a/direct/src/gui/DirectScrolledList.py b/direct/src/gui/DirectScrolledList.py
index 58d981950b..d17023d545 100644
--- a/direct/src/gui/DirectScrolledList.py
+++ b/direct/src/gui/DirectScrolledList.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class DirectScrolledListItem(DirectButton):
 
     def __init__(self, parent=None, **kw):
         assert self.notify.debugStateCall(self)
-        self.parent = parent
+        self._parent = parent
         if "command" in kw:
             self.nextCommand = kw.get("command")
             del kw["command"]
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class DirectScrolledListItem(DirectButton):
             self.nextCommandExtraArgs = kw.get("extraArgs")
             del kw["extraArgs"]
         optiondefs = (
-            ('parent', self.parent,    None),
+            ('parent', self._parent,    None),
             ('command', self.select, None),
             )
         # Merge keyword options with default options
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class DirectScrolledListItem(DirectButton):
     def select(self):
         assert self.notify.debugStateCall(self)
         self.nextCommand(*self.nextCommandExtraArgs)
-        self.parent.selectListItem(self)
+        self._parent.selectListItem(self)
 
 
 class DirectScrolledList(DirectFrame):