Facts for Kids

Filial duty means the responsibilities children have toward their parents and family. In many homes, this includes caring for older relatives, helping with chores, and keeping the family’s good name. Some traditions ask children to put family needs first or follow family decisions about important things.

In parts of East Asia, the idea of filial piety (called xiao) teaches that respecting and helping parents is very important. Filial duty can bring families close and make sure elders are cared for, but it can also feel heavy if expectations are very strict. How do families you know show care?

Civic duties are duties people have as members of a town, state, or country. These include obeying laws, paying taxes, and voting in elections when you are old enough. Communities also expect people to help in emergencies, serve on a jury if called, and report health problems that could spread to others.

Civic duties can also mean helping by volunteering, donating blood, or teaching others what you know. In some places, citizens may need to help defend their country. Civic duties help a community run smoothly, but different places make different rules about which duties are required.

Duty is a promise or expectation to do something because it is the right thing to do or because rules say so. A duty can be small, like helping with dishes, or large, like protecting others in an emergency. Sometimes duties come from rules or laws, and other times they come from what people believe is fair or kind.

Doing your duty might mean giving up something you want, like time or comfort. Some people feel a strong sense of duty and work hard to keep promises. Duties can be about doing things (positive duties) or not doing things (negative duties). What duty feels like to you?

Legal duties are duties written into the law. For example, adults may have a duty of care to keep others safe, or a duty to report crimes to the police. Laws can also create duties in contracts, such as when someone promises to repair a house or deliver goods.

Other legal duties include paying certain taxes and looking after children if you are their guardian. In some places, there is a duty to help someone in danger. Laws describe what people must do and what happens if they do not follow the rules, so legal duties are important for keeping order.

Duties come from different places: laws, religions, family rules, or ideas about what is fair. A country might expect citizens to pay taxes, while a religion might teach people to be kind to neighbors. People also learn duties from friends and schools.

Some duties are positive duties — things you must do, like helping someone who is hurt. Others are negative duties — things you must avoid, like stealing. Long ago, thinkers said duties can grow from being human, your work or family role, and your character. Sometimes a duty has a penalty if you don’t follow it.

Different places teach duty in different ways. In many Asian and Latin American cultures, people expect strong family help and loyalty, so children often help parents and grandparents. In some Middle Eastern and South Asian homes, families live together so older people can be cared for by younger relatives.

In many Western places, people also care for family but often balance family duties with personal choices. Duties can comfort people by creating clear roles, or they can feel hard if they limit what someone wants to do. How might duty look in a place you visit or read about?