Children is plural. If you are using the possessive form, you must use the apostrophe, as in children's. Any spelling other than this indicts you as a fundamental illiterate.
There are several possessive forms which can be confusing; indeed, which have changed over time. For example, I was taught that if a word ends in ss, there is no need to add another s after the apostrophe, as in, "The business' accounting records had to be revised." Nowadays, my understanding is that an s is needed after the apostrophe to denote the possessive form. I welcome comments about this.
Likewise, "The Thomases' Pontiac was damaged in the crash," the apostrophe is clearly denoting the possessive form for the Thomases. To my understanding, it's superfluous to add yet another s to clarify its meaning.
English can be tricky. But so can life. Embrace both.
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