Children Owe Their Parents Nothing, While Parents Owe Their Children the Freedom to Live Without Guilt or Obligation

Growing up, I was taught to feel grateful to my parents for giving me life and providing for me. Somewhere along the way, I began to feel like I owed them something for it an unspoken debt that weighed on me with guilt.

But recently, I came across an idea that shifted my perspective: Children owe their parents nothing, and parents owe their children everything. At first, it felt selfish, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Love isn’t about keeping score or attaching obligations it’s something freely given. The greatest gift parents can give their children is the freedom to live without guilt or the weight of unspoken expectations.

At the same time, kids should love and respect their parents out of gratitude, not obligation. Relationships built on guilt and duty are transactional, and they lack the joy and authenticity of ones built on mutual care and understanding.

Whether you're a parent or a child, true connection comes from being present for each other not out of obligation, but because you genuinely want to. Wouldn’t life feel lighter if we stopped keeping track of what’s “owed” and let love thrive freely on both sides?