WARNING: The following article contains spoilers from Robin & Batman #3, on sale now.
Batman's relationship with Dick Grayson is one of the most complex bonds in the DC Universe. At times it is adversarial and at others it is akin to that of father and son. The recent series following Dick's earliest days as Robin demonstrate how contentious their early relationship was, with Batman trying to train him to be a soldier instead of a child.
In Robin & Batman #3 (by Jeff Lemire, Dustin Nguyen, Steve Wands) however, after getting captured by Killer Croc, Batman revealed that he would always be proud of Dick no matter what he chose to do with his life. This is heartwarming, but still draws a sharp contrast against his usual appearance as a cold mentor for the young man.
Batman was captured by Killer Croc and hung upside down in a tank that was slowly filling with water. Robin showed up to try and rescue him, but Batman tried to dissuade him, knowing that Killer Croc was lurking nearby and would likely kill the boy. To get him to leave, Batman told Robin that it was okay and he was a good boy and that Batman, despite appearances saying otherwise, was incredibly proud of Dick and always would be. This was perhaps the first real moment where Bruce acted as a father to the child he had taken in, putting his wellbeing above the needs of himself or even Gotham City.
A pessimistic point of view could argue that Batman was merely trying to say what Dick needed to hear in the vain hope that he might leave and save himself. Even if this was true and the words were insincere, it still means that Batman valued Dick's safety over capturing Croc or saving Batman's life. However, Batman has and always will care for each of his Robins. They are all his children, having spent the better part of his life raising each and every one of them. Granted, he has made many mistakes over the years, no parent is ever perfect and someone as grim as Bruce was always going to stumble more than the average father. At the end of the day though, he loves each of them.
This of course is always in conflict with his role as their mentor. As a vigilante, and a mortal one at that, Bruce has to maintain a rigid discipline to survive Gotham's streets at night. To bring a child into his war on crime is its own kind of madness, but this was going to happen with or without him, so Robin might as well meet his standards before going on patrol. This is why Batman comes across as so harsh a taskmaster; he has no choice but to be. If Robin doesn't learn what Batman has to teach him, he would likely die.
So while this does mean Batman's teaching methods come from a place of care and even support, it still draws a child into a personal war. Essentially, Batman knowingly produces child soldiers, even referring to them as such on more than one occasion. He might justify by saying that he survived having his childhood robbed, but that's a hollow argument given the state of his personal life by the time Dick entered the picture. Ultimately though, Batman understands that each of his Robins was a child, and as such he cares for their wellbeing. If he comes across as harsh when teaching them, it is only because he is desperate to make sure they live through their ambitions.