sons and daughters; children
Formal term for one's own children or children in general, often used in legal, educational, or official contexts. Emphasizes the parent-child relationship.
He raised three children.
This school focuses on the education of children.
Rare, somewhat dated usage referring specifically to a girl or young woman, often in the context of upbringing or social standing. Modern Japanese usually uses 女の子 or 少女.
She was strictly disciplined as a daughter of a good family.
Education-focused families tend to raise their children strictly.
He has three children.
少女 is the modern, common word for a young girl, whereas 子女 in this sense is a dated, literary usage that has largely fallen out of everyday speech.
父母 refers to the parents, while 子女 refers to the children, the opposite generational role in a family.
子息 is an honorific term used specifically for someone else's son, while 子女 is a neutral word covering one's own or general children of either sex.
令嬢 is an honorific term used specifically for someone else's daughter, while 子女 is a neutral word that can refer to one's own children of either sex.
子女 means 'children (sons and daughters)' and uses the same characters in reverse order from 婦女子, but refers only to offspring, not women.
Compound of 子 (child) and 女 (woman/female), originally referring to both sons and daughters. The second sense (girl) is a narrowing of the original meaning.