BiscottiGelato

Biologically speaking, humans (all animals in fact) give birth to the next generation to continue their blood lines. The salvation of the next generation is already a 'return' on the 'investment'. I am not a parent yet, but I'd think that I'd want to be able to provide the best for my next generation (not just monetary-wise), and I really won't expect anything from them either. As previous posters already said, childrens with good virtue and a correct sense of value should support their parents anyways. But it'd be selfish for parents to 'expect a monetary return' from their children as if they are investing in a retirement fund. After all, the parents had the choice to have kids or not, but the kids never had the chance to decide if they really want to become the parent's child. Without any choices, the child is born to not be able to support him/herself for the first 20ish years. It's a debt imposed on the child by the parents, which really shouldn't be considered a debt at all.

On the flip side, as a child, I would hope my parents will have good retirement financial planning such that they would not need me to support them (as I probably want to use as much as my limited wealth to support my kids when the time comes). However if their retirement strategy falters, then of course I'd also do the best I can to support them financially.

Furthermore, I don't know if I would agree that the current generation is weak in suppporting themselves. Afterall, baby boomers are the ones that have borrowed against the future like never before. The current, and coming generations not only will have to support themselves, but to repay the debt their ancestors have borrowed and repay to nature what their ancestors have destroyed/consumed... Not to mention that developed nations are having serious issues in the aging of their population. As such, i'd say it'll be much more difficult for the coming generations to sustain themselves and maintain a lifestyle that baby boomers have once enjoyed.