20 TV parents you wished you had growing up

Mike and Carol Brady weren't perfect, but they tried their best and were one of the first blended families in TV history. They seemed to have fun at home, and they had a cool house. All of that resulted in wanting to live with them. 

Gomez and Morticia Addams make great parents because they allow their children to express themselves and be authentic people. In fact, they encouraged it. More children could use parents who are totally accepting of their children’s interests and personalities, however bizarre they may be. 

Cliff (the character, not the actor) and Clair Huxtable would have been amazing growing up. They were sweet and loving toward each other and somehow managed to balance being friends with and parents to their children. They were also always good for a laugh. 

If you could pick a television couple to go back and redo your childhood with, Phil and Claire Dunphy would probably be high on the list. They balance each other well, and life would be a little chaotic without being too dramatic. 

Bart and Lily were terrible parents. No one would have wanted them for their parenting skills. But they let their kids do whatever they wanted and gave them unfettered access to their funds, and what kid wouldn’t want that?

Lorelai Gilmore romanticized life. She somehow made time for Rory to have breakfast at a restaurant every morning and was present for every festive town event. She made Rory’s childhood an absolute dream. 

Kitty and Red Forman were a perfectly balanced set of parents. Kitty was sweet and a mother to everyone who came over, while Red was firm yet caring. Even if you didn’t want them to be your parents, you wanted to be friends with their kids. 

Jack and Rebecca Pearson are another TV couple you might want to redo your childhood with, especially in their younger years. They were always there for their children, and they knew how to make a house a home. 

Bob and Linda Belcher are a unique couple, but that's why they'd be so fun to have as parents. And it might be a lot of fun to live in the apartment above your parents' burger joint. 

Lucy and Ricky Ricardo would be a ball to have as parents. You know that they had a life before becoming parents, and they didn't lose themselves once they had Little Ricky.

If you couldn’t get down with Danny Tanner as your dad, you couldn’t get down with anyone. Sure, he was a little neurotic, but there’s nothing he wouldn’t have done for his girls. 

Sandy and Kirsten Cohen knew how to get their children out of any mess they found themselves in. Heck, they knew how to get anyone out of a mess. They also had an amazing house. Who wouldn’t have wanted to live in their pool house? 

Phil and Vivian Banks would've been great real-life influences. Phil would keep you in line, and Vivian would be there to listen when you need something. They wouldn't always be fun parents, but they'd always be good parents. 

Moira and Johnny Rose could be categorized with Bart Bass and Lily van der Woodsen. They weren’t exactly great parents, but they were very entertaining and generous with their money. And as time went on, they learned how to be the parents their children needed. 

There's something so idyllic about the Cunningham household on Happy Days. Having Howard and Marion as parents would literally feel like living inside a television show. 

Picking up and moving your family to Beverly Hills after suddenly making a ton of money is an unhinged thing for a father to do. But if you’re being honest with yourself, you would’ve loved to have been part of the chaos. 

Eric and Tami Taylor are the parents you want if you're living in a small community. They're strong and supportive, and they care deeply about their family. There's nothing that could tear these two apart. 

As far as cartoons go, Marge and Homer Simpson seem to have it together as parents. They're certainly not perfect, but life would be entertaining in their world. 

There are few television parents you'd pick ahead of Carl and Harriette Winslow, if any. They love their kids and are there for them no matter what. They'll happily accept outsiders into their home, too. 

George and Lucille Bluth are both icons, and having them as parents would have been wacky in the best way possible. They would have kept things very interesting and wouldn’t have expected much.