Parents may make several promises to children then break them, assuming that this will not affect the shaping of the child's character due to their young age. How ever, the noble Prophet warned of the outcome of breaking promises made to children due to the fact that a child looks at his parents as though they are the cause and source of sustenance. And this perception has a great impact in a child's heart. Accordingly, if the parents break their promise, it will cause disappointment in a childs heart, in the size of perception, More over a child views his parents as primary role models, thus breaking their promise will cause of lack of trust - from his side - in peoples words after he lost trust in his primary role models. Therefore it is mentioned that the noble Messenger said
Love children and be merciful with them. And if you promise them anything, then keep your promise, for they consider you the ones in charge of their sustenance.
In another instance,
If you make a promise to children then fulfill it, for they see that you are the ones providing them with their sustenance. God does not get angry for anything as much as he does for women and children.
He who has a daughter and does not insult or favor his son over her, God places him in heaven
The best of children are daughters, kind organized delightful weeping and blessed
He who has one daughter has received that which is better than a thousand pilgrimages, a thousand conquest, a thousand camels and a thousand hospitalities.
There isn't any house that has girls within it except that every day, twelve sorts of blessings and mercy descend to it from the sky, and the angels do not cease to visit that house and write for their father the reward of a year of worship of every day and night
He who enters the market, buys some goods then brings them to his children is like a person who has carried alms to a needy people. And he ought to start with the females than the males.
The impact of the child extends, after the death of his parents in such a way that his good deeds escort his parents, lighten up their grave with a divine light and protect them from the dreadful horror of the grave. Infact it might even change the parents fate from suffering to bliss.
The Prophet, points out this truth in the following hadith mentioned by him,
'There are 5 categories of people whose reward follows them to their graves,
1. He who sows a palm tree
2. He who digs up a well
3. He who builds a mosque
4. He who writes a copy of the noble Quran
5. He who leaves behind a virtuous child.
Imam Jafar al-Sadiq emphasized on this subject when he said,
When a man dies, he ceases to benefit from any reward, save from the following three
1. An alms which had been carried out during his life, for it continues after this death
2. A practice of guidance which eh had established, for it is implemented after his death
3. A virtuous child who pleads forgiveness on his behalf.
Also, as practical implementation of this truth, the Great Prophet narrates a story that happened to the Prophet of God, Isa, He said, 'Isa b. Maryam (Jesus) passed by a grave whose owner was suffering, then he passed by it again at a later time to find that the owner was not suffering anymore. So he said, O Lord, I passed by this grave one year to find his owner in torment, then I passed it this year to find that he was not suffering, so God revealed to him, O Spirit of God (Isa), he had conceived of a virtuous child who had fixed a road and sheltered an orphan, so I forgave him for what his son had done
