It is actually unfortunate that people pin the sins of the father on the children that probably knows nothing about their fathers sins.
There are many instances that i witnessed, where another person is bearing the consequenses of something they know basically nothing about. It can be disappointing and heart breaking to oay for something you did not do, or for something that you did not enjoy.
Most of the times, due to the harsh economical reality of the world, many parents will make some decisions that will turn out to hunt their children when they are no more. This is when you see many different people coming to the family during the father or mother's burial, to tell the children about the debt their father owed.
No matter how bad things turn out to be, a responsible parent will never want their children to pass through the stress of paying for their debt when they are no more, but then, at times, the quest of survival with no knowledge about what the future holds, parents do many things, sometimes, take loans that the children end up paying.
Its not only in the aspect of loan, even how they treated somebody in the past. I have come to understand that, in Nigerian villages, jealousy is not actually the only reason why uncles hate their niece and and nephew. Some times, it may be due to how badly they were treated by their brother (the niece father)
The concept of consequentialism, is something that not many people understand. For everything, every action that was taken by somebody in this world, there is a reward, a consequences. If you do good, get a good name and extend kindness to other people, you and your children will reap that which you sow.
Conversely, if you do bad, if you decide to be wicked to people, your children will also reap the wickedness that you sow.
It has been recorded many times in the christian bible, when the sins of the father was passed down to the children. Not only the children but the next generation that comes after them. Also, it has also been recorded in the same book, when the blessings of the father is passed down to the children and the next generations to come.
Personally, i dont actually think that it is totally right to purnish the children for the crimes their parent commit, because they know not anything about the wrong doings of their parents, but then, the world does not work like that, but then, a part of me feels like it is a fair trade.
We live in a cruel and harsh world, where the people in it do not actually care whether or not you know anything about the sins or good doings of your parents, it rewards you with what your parents sow.
This is the major reason why parents should be very careful about what they do to other people. It is not just about them, the parents, but it goes past them.