Do you think your children owe it to you?

I think many of us (parents and children) avoid thinking about the subject. My youngest (who is now 21) and I joke around that at some point he'll be the one responsible for changing my diapers. The reality is, that while we may joke around about it, we have not had a serious conversation about it.

My parents have certainly never had that conversation with me and my siblings and they are reaching the age where it will need to be addressed. I'm not sure if that answered your question or not . . . so here is an online article that discusses this topic in a bit more detail - http://bit.ly/137fPJm.

Blessings!!

No. People choose to have kids to raise and support, but no kid asks to be born. Many people who don't have kids do just fine without having kids take care of them when they're old; if they can do it then people who have kids can do it too.

That said, I would help my parents if they needed it, but that's just because I'm nice, and I get along well with my parents so it would be like I was helping a friend. But I don't feel like I owe them for brining me into this world without my permission, sorry.

I don't think my children owe me anything. If they can live with themselves knowing that I wander the streets during the day and sleep in cardboard box at night, so be it...

Do you know what really puzzles me? It's when people tell me that they don't want to burden their children, yet they think it's perfectly fine to ask other people (neighbors) for help all the time. A former neighbor of mine used to call us up to 10 times a day, asking for "help". She called me at 6 am because she wasn't feeling well and wanted me to sit with her and she said, it was too early to call her children.

Yes, I think, it's the children's responsibility to take care of their elderly parents. The burden shouldn't fall on the elderly parents' neighbors. Or, if financial support is needed, I don't think that the burden should fall on the tax payers.

I don't want to live with my kids when I get older. I want some peace and quiet so I can start reading novels again!!!

A little house in the same suburb or not too far away would do me just fine. They can visit me instead, and bring me home cooked meals - doesn't sound too bad!!

I think the elderly in our world these days are treated badly. They are seen as too old to contribute to our communities, too wrinkly and ugly to be accepted and our young people have little respect for them.

I just want to be respected when I get old, and not to be ostracized just because I hit 80 years old and have a face lined with experience. Our senior citizens have so much to offer, I just hope we start to realize that -

Children are not property, they are human beings. So no I don't think kids OWE there parents anything. I like what another person said, parents have and raise children they don't ask to be born. Kids are controlled, belittled and disrespected throughout there childhood by there parents, once that kid reaches adulthood parents have to give the kids the respect they didn't get as a child.

As someone who literally just moved her elderly mother into my house less than a month ago, no.

We are only at the beginning of a long, sad descent to which there is no return.

I don't want this for myself, and certainly don't want my daughter to have to deal with all this crap. I feel somewhat obligated to help because quite literally there is no place else to send her. She's also helped me financially.

But I am dismayed by how many people expect their children to help them, especially those who haven't bothered to pony up the money for college textbooks.

Of course not. It would be nice but I don't think it is something they owe. I would hope that any child raised in a good healthy family out of love & compassion would look after their parent. Not because they owe something or as a pay back.

The USA is really one of the only cultures who see it this way. Other cultures admire & respect their elders. They are honored to care for elder family members. They build a special room onto their home so their parents can move in & be looked after. It is not a burden it is just love & family.

The only thing I think children owe their parents is to obey the rules of the house as long as they live under their parent's roof. If the children aren't willing to do this, then they carry the debt they owe their parents and need to pay it in some other way.

I don't think so. It is my responsibility to make arrangements for my finances and care.

That said, I feel it IS my responsibility to take care of my parents if they need help in the future. I'd like to think that my daughter would feel that way, too, but it has to come from her heart. It is not something she owes me.

Yes, absolutely I think children should help there parents in their old age like they helped them when they were young and growing up.