Which Television Mom Do You Aspire To Be?

It sounds like the title of a Facebook quiz, doesn’t it? Moms are the central figures in many television shows. From June Cleaver and Carol Brady to Lorelai Gilmore and Claire Dunphy, all kinds of moms are represented on the small screen.

Without further ado, I present to you my list of memorable television moms. Some are sweet, some are sassy, but all have one theme in common: they love their families just as their real life counterparts do.

1. Clair Huxtable

My family watched The Cosby Show every Thursday night when the show was good. Clair represents a working mom who is her husband’s equal (and in some ways superior to him!). She’s obviously devoted to her children, but my favorite part about Clair is her relationship with Cliff. These two characters had a goofy, silly, loving relationship, and one that I’d be happy to emulate.

2. Roseanne Connor 

A few years later, we gathered around the television to watch Roseanne. Played by comedian Roseanne Barr, Roseanne Connor was a change from many television moms who came before her. She was smart-mouthed, loud and didn’t have that “picture perfect” image. But when it came down to it, she was real-life and represented a shift in the view of the American family. Regards of the struggles, her affection for her children and husband is hard to dispute.

3. Marge Simpson

Poor, unappreciated Marge. I have seen many late 90’s episodes of The Simpsons (it came on twice a day when I was in college) and Marge is always cleaning up after Bart and Homer. But her support for her family is evident in the choices that she makes throughout the series.

4. Lori Grimes (RIP) 

Poor Lori. When The Walking Dead begins, her husband has been shot and is lying in a hospital bed. Then all hell breaks loose (literally) and what’s a woman with a preteen age son to do? Take up with comatose husband’s best friend, of course. Errors in judgment aside, the woman gave her life for her infant daughter, and that is saying something.

5. Lorelai Gilmore

The chatty mom had a close bond with her daughter Rory throughout The Gilmore Girls, and often it seemed as though Rory was mom and Lorelai was the child. Nevertheless, the show does an excellent job of showcasing the powerful bond between mother and daughter.

6. June Cleaver

I must admit, I’ve never seen a single episode of Leave it to Beaver, but I have images in my head of cookie baking and full skirts. She’s the quintessential tv mom, isn’t she? The picture perfect housewife who is able to maintain a tidy household, tend to the kids, and still have dinner on the table when her husband arrives home from work. Hmmm … perhaps I need to tune in (and take notes!).

7. Claire Dunphy and Gloria Delgado-Pritchett

These moms are my two current favorite television moms. On Modern Family, Claire is the typical suburban soccer mom who is mom to three very different siblings. While Gloria Delgado-Pritchett (who was called a golddigger by Claire in an early episode of the series by Claire) manages to be mom to Manny and wife to Jay … and look gorgeous while doing so.

8. Carol Brady

Blended families must be more difficult than Carol Brady makes it seem on The Brady Bunch. The kids, for the most part, got along well — sure there was jealousy over Greg’s popularity and Marcia’s good (poor Marcia) — but it all worked out by the end of the episode, thanks to Carol and Mike’s parenting (and let’s face it, Alice the maid’s help too). Carol was always there as a supportive mother to her children and step-children without playing favorites.

9. Joyce Summers 

Ah, poor Joyce Summers. If your daughter was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you’d think you’d have a little bit more of a clue. But she doesn’t, and once she finally gets a clue about her daughter’s destiny, she dies. Of natural causes.

10. Carol Walsh

A transplant from Minneapolis to the prestigious 90210 zip code, Carol Walsh manages to be a supportive influence over Brandon, at least. Brenda is a totally different story, of course, but that’s not a result of poor parenting influence, that’s because Brenda takes up with Dylan. Sigh.

I think it’s easy to see that much like us, television moms are as different as the families they represent. But they love their families, and would do anything for them. Looking over this list, I can pick out traits and qualities of each that I’d love to emulate.

Who’d I miss? Which television mom do you aspire to be?