You can delete a group of sub-elements, leaving the parent element intact, if you wish.
This will delete only the sub-elements of that element, leaving the parent element intact
In a template: if you delete the children of an element in a template, those sub-elements will no longer appear in that template whenever it is accessed. However, you can always add a sub-element when you need to.
In a record: if you delete the children of an element in a record, the sub-elements will only disappear from that record. Once you close the record and re-open it, the sub-element will re-appear in the template that you have chosen.
If you would like to delete both a parent element and its sub-elements, then use Delete an element instead.