Children are certain cares, but very uncertain comforts.
Children are certain cares, but very uncertain comforts.
Meaning in plain English
Caring for children brings responsibilities, while the comfort a parent hopes to receive from them cannot be guaranteed. The saying contrasts present duties with uncertain future expectations, rather than defining children as a debt owed to adults.
Example
A parent discusses future support with several relatives and friends rather than assuming an adult child will move nearby to provide it.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The proverb sets the certainty of care against the uncertainty of comfort. A useful reading distinguishes the responsibilities of raising children from hopes about what the later relationship will be like. Those hopes may be understandable, but children have their own circumstances and choices; affection cannot be made a guaranteed return on parental effort. The wording should not become a judgement that children are a disappointment or that family life has one inevitable pattern. Support can come through many relationships and arrangements. The saying invites a realistic view of expectations while leaving space for affection that is freely given and for care that is not treated as a bargain.
When to use it
Use it when expectations of future family support are being treated as guaranteed.
Keep in mind
Family relationships vary; children are not an investment with an owed return, and care does not decide their future choices.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-04. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 248 · Children
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗