This is an aspect which can be checked both ways. In a horoscope the Ascendant and its lord signify the self. The 5th House and its lord signify the children as a whole. Individually the 5th house indicates the 1st child, 3rd from that the7th the second child, 3rd from that the 9th the 3rd child and 11th the 4th child and so on.

Here the great summarized rule given by Late Dr B.V. Raman applies most effectively.
This rule says “The Bhava House, the Bhava Lord, and the Karaka (significator) must be well placed and well associated and aspected by benefic planets for the Bhava to flourish and yield favorable results”.

The usage of friendship and enmity chart comes in handy to check the mutual relationship between the bhava lord and the ascendant lord. It can be intimate friend, friend, neutral, enemy or bitter enemy according to which the relationship of an individual with his children will materialize.

Generally it is seen that fathers are prone to be more attached to the daughters than to sons. Most often father is represented by a male planet and Daughter by a female planet the natural attraction between the male and female works to create a stronger bond with a girl child.
On the other side Moon represents the mother. Moon has no enemies hence a mother feels at home with all her children. The child may give trouble to mother like Saturn or Kaytu afflicting the Moon but Mother bears it patiently without retaliating.

Another kind of relationship that exists between a father and his children.The father who gives birth takes the responsibility of up bringing of his children by providing for their food, clothing, accommodation, education, vehicular expenses and other entertainments etc.

In this way the father pays off his old debts which he has incurred to the individuals who are now born as his children to recover the same from him.
This can be clearly seen in a horoscope by linkage of sixth house of father with either the ascendant or the Moon of his children.

Some other relations can also be traced from the placement of planets in different positions to
each other. In this way some of the important yogas like, Maatrumoola dhana yoga, (inheritance from mother), Pithrumoola Dhan yoga (inheritance from father), and Putra Moola dhan yoga (parents getting benefit from son) are formed in a horoscope.

Similarly when a single planet gets isolated and stands alone in a father’s horoscope the child represented by the planet will be living away from him. Yet if such a planet happens to be in the 9th house of father it may be indicating the benefits for father from a son/ Daughter living abroad.

In short the relationships have to be deduced from the planetary pattern formed in the basic horoscope.