A child can be a cause of cowardice and stinginess

As-Sindi (a scholar) said: “The meaning of this is that a person’s excessive love for his children could cause him to be stingy in giving charity, and to be cowardly and fearful of death because of them.”

The narration also shows the exceeding love of the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, for Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn when he hugged them and made this statement. Such was the Prophet's nature when dealing with his grandchildren, and this was how he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would shower them with his mercy and compassion.