Do parents owe their children anything？ Yes, they owe them a great deal. （69) One of their

Do parents owe their children anything？ Yes, they owe them a great deal.

(69) One of their chief duties is to give their children a sense of personal worth, for self-esteem is the basis of a good mental health. A youngster who is often made to feel stupid, often compared to brighter brothers, sisters, or cousins, will not feel confident and become so afraid of failing, that he (or she ) won't try at all. Of course, they should be corrected when they do wrong, this is the way children learn. But the criticisms should be balanced with praises.

Parents owe their children firm guidance and consistent discipline. It is frightening for a youngster to feel that he is in charge of himself; it's like being in a car without brakes. The parent who says "No" when other parents say "Yes" sends a double message. He is also saying: "I love you, and I am ready to risk your anger, because I don't want you to get into trouble. "

Parents owe their children a comfortable feeling about their body, and enough information about sex to balance the wrong information that they will surely receive from their friends.

Parents owe their children privacy and respect for their personal things. This means not borrowing things without being permitted, not reading diaries and mail, not looking through pockets. If a mother feels that she must read her daughter's diary to know what is going on, the communication between them must be pretty bad.

Parents own their children a set of solid values around which to build their lives. (70) This means teaching them to respect the rights and opinions of others: it means respecting elders, teachers and the law. The best way to teach such values is by example. A child who is lied to will lie. A child who sees his parents steal tools from the factory or towels from a hotel will think that it is all right to steal. A youngster who sees no laughter and no love in the home will have a difficult time laughing and loving.

No child asks to be born. If you bring a life into the world, you owe the child something. And if you give rim his due, he' 11 have something of value to pass along to your grandchildren.

According to the passage, parents owe their children the following things Except______.

A．privacy

B．cars

C．respect of self

D．information about their body