Free Essay On What Do Grown Up Children Owe Their Parents

The article of English explains that children owe nothing to their parents, but there are things that children are expected to do for their parents as part of their gratitude. Based on the article, children are forever indebted to their parents for the voluntary sacrifices they made for their children to give them comfortable lives. Thus, I conclude that part of the moral duty of the children is to care for their parents when they grow old.
When the children grow old, finish their education and have successful careers, one gesture that is expected of them is to help their parents pay for medical expenses and support them during times of need.
The relationship between parents and children is based on friendship, respect and mutuality. I agree with the argument of English that parents and children are tied by love and mutual obligations to each other, rather than doing reciprocal favors for each other as a way to repay debt. The sacrifices that the parents do for their children is done out of love and affection that they have for them. Therefore, the acts that the parents do for their children should not expect anything in return for the sacrifices they made to support them.
The parents have to work hard to pay for the tuition fees of their children until they finish college and earn a degree. The children are not obligated to the parents to pay them back for all the expenses they incurred to support their education. Even if the children become successful in life, it will be unethical to say that they owe their parents money and return all the money spent to pay for their tuition fees. Since the relationship of the parents and children is based on mutual love and respect for each other, no debt or liability is incurred by the children to their parents who make personal sacrifices for them.
I do not agree with the argument of English that the parents do not owe their parents anything. I believe that the children have the moral obligation to care for their parents when they grow old and need their support to pay for their medical expenses. Since the parents have made many sacrifices for their children, the children have the obligation to repay all the good deeds that their parents have given them. Aside from the monetary duty of the children to support their ailing parents, they should also give spend quality time with them. More than the monetary obligation of the children to their parents is their duty to give them the love, care and affection they need when they get sick due to old age. It should be a voluntary act on the part of the children to give back or repay their parents for all the earlier sacrifices they did to give them a good future. The children are not literally indebted to their parents in the sense that they should be discharged of their obligation by performing acts to repay the sacrifices that their parents made for them. Therefore, I do not agree with the argument of English that when the children reciprocate the good deeds of their parents, they are finally discharged of their obligation to them since the parent and child relationship is a lifetime commitment.