Why do children mean more to their parents than parents will mean to their children?

Question

It's a biological fact but why?

Answer 1

Because the children ensure the survival of the parents genetic material - they are the parents' shot at immortality. The parents aren't. If they've had kids, they've fulfilled their biological imperative. Evolution has no more use for them.

I see other people answering it as a moral question but you did ask it in biology and not ethics. Think of it this way, your family tree can trace its way back billions of years, if you died to save your parents when they were past the age of child rearing then that great line would end with you (assuming for the moment you're an only child), if your parents died to protect you, they might be able to rest easy knowing their genes could survive another few million years!

People think the purpose of life in biology is survival - but its only survival of our genes and animals are often observed engaging in behaviour that ends their lives, but in the process it ensures their genes will survive in to the next generation.

This isn't how humans do or should behave, mind you - this is just a summary of the facts in terms of evolutionary biology. Regards.

Answer 2

Because children take their folks for granted. I mean, when someone has fed you, clothed you, sheltered you, and actually wiped your hindquarters... it's kinda obvious they want to keep you.

Parents invest more effort in their children than children do in their parents. Hopefully, children realize this fact one day and appreciate the parents.

I daresay it usually happens when they're feeding, clothing, sheltering and wiping the hindquarters of their own children.

Answer 3

We're wired to care for our young. We grow up thinking that our parents can take care of themselves, so we don't create the protective type of bond with them as we do our own children.

Answer 4

I dunno.. my parents mean a lot to me.. of course I'm 32.. I think it's a youth thing.. people are naturally selfish, but as we grow older we learn to overcome our selfishness to some extent..