The Buddha emphasizes the reciprocal duties of both. The parents have the duty to educate their children, to bring them up properly and to steer them away from wrong, to guide them towards what is right etc. The children also have a duty to respect their parents and to attend to their needs. The Buddha says: "There are two people that you can never repay - your mother and your father. They give birth to you, nourish you, bring you up, teach you, educate you, etc. Therefore you can never repay them even if you carry them on your shoulder for the rest of their life." However, the Buddha says, "There is one way to repay your mother and father. If they don't have faith in Dhamma, establish them in faith. If they don't observe the precepts, teach them the precepts: If they are stingy, teach them to be generous. If they are deluded and lack wisdom, help them to develop their wisdom. This way you can repay your parents."

Specific duties laid down by the Buddha in the parent-child relationship are as follows:

Parents towards children:

1.Restrain them from evil.
2.Encourage them to do good.
3.Train them for a profession.
4.Arrange a suitable marriage for them.
5.Hand over their inheritance to them at proper time.

Children towards parents:

1.Support them in old age.
2.Do their duties.
3.Keep the family tradition.
4.Be worthy of their inheritance.
5. Offer alms in honour of them when they depart.