Line #87 Main/TheParentTrope


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7	->'''Socrates:''' ''My friend, I am a man, and like other men, a creature of flesh and blood, and not 'of wood or stone,' as Creator/{{Homer}} says; and I have a family, yes, and sons, O Athenians, three in number, one almost a man, and two others who are still young''
8	-->-- '''Creator/{{Plato}}''', ''[[Literature/ApologyOfSocrates Apology]]''
9
10	Of course, mothers and fathers can be important in fiction, whether or [[ParentalIssues not]] they are actually around.
11
12	For the other side of things, see SonOfTropeDaughterOfIndex.
13
14	[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] SuperTrope or ''Film/{{The Parent Trap\|1961}}''.
15	----
16	!!Tropes:
17	[[index]]
18	[floatboxright:
19	Related:
20	+ AdoptAnIndex
21	+ OrphanedIndex
22	+ ParentalIssues
23	+ PaternityTropes
24	]
25	* AbandonedWarChild: Women are left single mothers during or after a war.
26	* AbsurdlyElderlyMother: Mothers are too old to have children.
27	* AbsurdlyYouthfulMother: Mothers are too young to have children.
28	* ActionDad: A father who is an ActionHero.
29	* ActionMom: A mother who is an ActionGirl.
30	* AdoptivePeerParent: The parents adopted a child who appears too old to be their biological offspring.
31	* AlmightyMom: A mother who succeeds in telling off anyone, even the worst antagonists.
32	* AmbiguouslyAbsentParent: A character has an absentee parent, but it's never explained or addressed.
33	* AmicableExes: A split couple who are still friends.
34	* AncestralName: A parent named their child after themselves, their parent or their more distant ancestors.
35	* AndYourRewardIsParenthood: Games give your character a child as a reward for completing some task or requirement.
36	* AntagonisticOffspring: TheHero's kid is their nemesis.
37	* AnticsEnablingWife: A wife or mother who does nothing to stop the antics of a BumblingDad despite knowing better.
38	* AnticlimacticParent: A parent is revealed to have a bad rep.
39	* AntiEducationMama: Parents that frown upon their child getting an education.
40	* AntiSmotherLoveTalk: Someone tries to talk a parent concerned for their child's safety into letting them take risks.
41	* AppealToFamilialWisdom: Quoting something your parent once said to you.
42	* ArchnemesisDad: The villain is the protagonist's father.
43	* AsianBabymama: The male lead discovers he has a child and the mother is an ex who is an "exotic" Asian lady.
44	* BabiesEverAfter: The story ends when the main couple has kids.
45	* BabyDollBaby: Looking after a baby doll like it's your actual son or daughter.
46	* BabyFeverTrigger: Seeing someone else's child makes someone want to be a parent themselves.
47	* BecauseISaidSo: Someone says that their inferior (often their child) should obey "just because".
48	* BecauseYouCanCope: A character (usually a child) is ignored by a loved one because said loved one has decided to look after someone else.
49	* BirthDeathJuxtaposition: Someone is born shortly after someone else dies.
50	* BreakingTheCycleOfBadParenting: A parent or parental figure who is shown as a better parent than their own.
51	* BoyfriendBlockingDad: A father who strongly opposes boys who try to date his daughter.
52	* BumblingDad: A klutzy and/or unintelligent father.
53	* CallingParentsByTheirName: Someone calls their parents by their given names, rather than "Mom", "Dad", or what-have-you.
54	* ChangelingFantasy: The hero's "real" parents are different, more interesting people than the ones who raised them.
55	* ChildrenRaiseYou: CharacterDevelopment comes from looking after a kid.
56	* ChildSupplantsParent: A child wants to overthrow, replace, or supersede their parent.
57	* ChosenConceptionPartner: Someone wants a child and picks someone who is not their spouse to be the other parent.
58	* CubCuesProtectiveParent: The human characters find a baby wild animal and are chased by its parent.
59	* DadsCantCook: When the father has to take on cooking duties, things go badly.
60	* DadsOffFightingInTheWar: A parent who is absent due to being in the military.
61	* DadTheVeteran: A parent who is a retired military person.
62	* DatingWhatDaddyHates: An adolescent girl or young woman living with her parents brings home her boyfriend, whom her dad disapproves of.
63	* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: The GoodParents die.
64	* DeliverUsFromEvil: An evil person [[HeelFaceTurn turns good]] after starting a family.
65	* DelusionsOfParentalLove: Parents are ''supposed'' to love their kids, so the children cling to this belief despite evidence to the contrary.
66	* DepartmentOfChildDisservices: Child Services works stupidly.
67	* DesignatedParents: A group of friends have two people the same age who are more mature, acting like the parents of the others.
68	* TheDiaperChange: Changing a baby's diaper.
69	* DisappearedDad: A dad is not present.
70	* DisownedParent: A child (of any age) disowns one or more of their parents.
71	* DivineParentage: A child of one or two gods.
72	* DoesntKnowTheirOwnChild: A parent's knowledge on their own children is so small or so outdated that it is clear they don't know them.
73	* DontTellMama: People do bad things but want to keep their mothers from knowing about the bad things they do.
74	* DotingParent: A parent who believes their kid is the best child in the world.
75	* EducationMama: A parent who worries a lot about their child's education.
76	* EggSitting: Learning about parenting by having to care for an egg, or a doll, or a sack of flour.
77	* ElderAbuse: When the now-old parent is abused.
78	* EmbarrassingOldPhoto: When someone (often their parent) shows the protagonist a photo of them as a child which, for whatever reason, embarrasses them.
79	* EmptyNest: A couple whose children have left home, miss them.
80	* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Tough or even bad guys being affectionate to their mothers.
81	* EvilMatriarch: A villainous mother.
82	* EvilParentsWantGoodKids: Villains want their children to be good.
83	* ExtraParentConception: Someone is somehow the biological child of ''three'' people.
84	* FamilyMan: A man who's very loyal to his family.
85	* FantasyForbiddingFather: A parent or guardian forbids their kid to take part in any hobbies outside their job because they view the hobbies as a "distraction" or a "waste".
86	* FathersQuest: A parent (mostly a father) goes to rescue their child.
87	* FeminineMotherTomboyishDaughter: A daughter is much more tomboyish than her mother.
88	* FinancialAbuse: Someone needs money but another character is keeping it away from them.
89	* FirstFatherWins: A divorced father is the lead and the mother takes custody of the kids, but then the stepdad turns out to be evil and gets killed off or otherwise "loses".
90	* FosteringForProfit: Someone fosters a child purely for business.
91	* FreudianExcuse: The villain is the way they are because something bad happened to them somewhere along the line.
92	* FunnyConceptionStory: A baby was conceived in an amusing way.
93	* GenerationXerox: Kids have very similar lives as their parents or even distant ancestors.
94	* GiftForAnOutgrownInterest: A gift-giver's idea of what the recipient (usually a parent to their child) would like is based on ''very'' outdated memories.
95	* GiveHimANormalLife: Superheroes have kids and give them up for adoption to protect them.
96	* GiveTheBabyAFather: A man who isn't the father proposes to a pregnant woman.
97	* GlamorousSingleMother: A single mother whose kids are never inconvenient.
98	* GlorifiedSpermDonor: The father left after impregnating the mother, but all's well when he shows up again.
99	* GoodParents: Parents who are good to their children.
100	* GoodStepmother: A stepmother who loves and supports her stepchildren.
101	* GoToYourRoom: A child is sent to their room as punishment, often by one or both of their parents.
102	* GroundedForever: A child is grounded (often by their parents) for a ridiculously long time like "a million years" or "forever".
103	* HandsOffParenting: Parents generally let their kids do whatever they want.
104	* HappilyAdopted: A person knows they are adopted and is happy with it.
105	* HappilyMarried: A successful marriage.
106	* HelicopterParents: An overbearing and/or overprotective parent who interfere with their children's personal lives.
107	* HiMom: A character who is on camera greets their mother, who may or may not be watching.
108	* HippieParents: A hippie couple with kids.
109	* HonorThyParent: Parents are seen as deserving deferential treatment; people who don't render this are called out for it.
110	* {{Househusband}}: A married man who takes care of the housework.
111	* {{Housewife}}: A stay-at-home wife who looks after the house and does most of the parenting.
112	* HowDadMetMom: A story detailing how two parents met.
113	* IAmNotYourFather: A reveal that the protagonist's "parents" are not their real parents.
114	* IAmXSonOfY: Someone boasts "I am [their name], son/daughter of [one or both their parents' names]!"
115	* IHaveNoSon: A family member disowns another one out of shame.
116	* IllegalGuardian: Someone adopts children to reap some illicit financial benefits at the kids' expense.
117	* ImmigrantParents: Someone has parents who immigrated from another country.
118	* InterracialAdoptionStruggles: Parents adopting a child of a different racial background or ethnicity than themselves, leading to struggles or cultural clashes.
119	* InvisibleParents: A character whose parents are never seen.
120	* IsThatCuteKidYours: An adult is mistaken for the parent of a young child.
121	* IWantGrandkids: An adult's parent wants grandchildren and annoys their son or daughter to get them some.
122	* JacobAndEsau: Each parent favours a different child or each child favors a different parent.
123	* JealousParent: The mum or dad competes with their child for their spouse's affection.
124	* JewishMother: The stereotype of a nagging, overprotective mother who's also Jewish.
125	* JoblessParentDrama: A family struggles due to a parent lacking a job.
126	* JockDadNerdSon: The father is very athletic. The son is nerdy but not athletic.
127	* KidsPlayMatchmaker: A child tries to find a new partner for their parent, and by extension a new mom/dad.
128	** KidsPlayMatchBreaker: When the kids try to scare away any potential suitors for their single parent.
129	* LamarckWasRight: Inheriting traits which shouldn't ordinarily be genetic.
130	* LearningToRideABike: Parents teaching their children to ride a bike is a common milestone moment.
131	* LetHerGrowUpDear: The father doesn't want the child (often a girl) to have romance, but the mother doesn't mind.
132	* LikeFatherLikeSon: A person resembles one of their parents.
133	* LikeFatherUnlikeSon: A child doesn't resemble at least one of their parents, in fact, they may be exact opposites.
134	* LineageComesFromTheFather: All of the character's significant lineage is on their father's side.
135	* LukeIAmYourFather: TheHero finds out the BigBad was a relative, often their dad.
136	* LukeYouAreMyFather: Someone reveals that they are the child of the person they're talking to.
137	* MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter: A MadScientist has a daughter who's their only child, is somewhere between sixteen and twenty-four, and is beautiful.
138	* MandatoryMotherhood: Women who don't want kids are demanded to have them.
139	* MamaBear: A mother whose kids you'd better not mess with.
140	* MarryTheNanny: A single parent gets with a hired parental substitute.
141	* MeetingTheParentsSequel: The hero of a work's first installment has their parents introduced in the sequel(s).
142	* MissingMom: A mom is not present.
143	* AMistakeIsBorn: A child is considered a "mistake" for their parents.
144	* MommyMobile: The boring family-hauler vehicle (typically a minivan, station wagon, or SUV) that signifies that someone's given up on being cool in favor of becoming a parent.
145	* TheMomVoice: A character, usually female, will lecture, discipline, command, or even comfort someone with a tone of voice that is reminiscent of a mother.
146	* MonsterIsAMommy: A menacing creature's behavior turns out to be justified, often because it's a mother or father protecting its kids or eggs.
147	* MotherMakesYouKing: Someone's mother makes them come into power.
148	* MotherOfAThousandYoung: A monster who is the parent of most of the other monsters.
149	* MuggleFosterParents: Someone with powers is raised by people without them.
150	* MumLooksLikeASister: Someone's mother looks like their sister.
151	* MyBelovedSmother: A bossy, overprotective, clingy mother.
152	* MyDadCanBeatUpYourDad: Children boasting about how their fathers are cooler than their rivals' fathers.
153	* MyParentsAreDead: A departed acquaintance or relative (often one the character was close to) is brought up and the character responds that the person is dead.
154	* MysteriousParent: When the reason for ParentalAbandonment is revealed and the parent is an important character.
155	* {{Nephewism}}: A character's aunt and/or uncle acts as their parental figure/s.
156	* NoBloodTies: Parents are not expected to raise their kids.
157	* NoFathersAllowed: Fatherhood is optional in this society.
158	* NotUnderTheParentsRoof: Children are not allowed to have sex at their parents' home.
159	* NotWantingKidsIsWeird: Wanting to have kids is the norm, and not wanting them is unusual.
160	* OffingTheOffspring: Killing your children.
161	* OpenMindedParent: A son or daughter lies to parents that are actually open-minded.
162	* OrcRaisedByElves: A character from an evil origin raised by good people, usually with a Heel-Face Turn.
163	* OrphanageOfFear: A torturous orphanage.
164	* OutlivingOnesOffspring: A parent outlives their children.
165	* OverlordJr: The EvilOverlord's kid is also evil.
166	* PapaWolf: When a dad gets ''really angry'' that you messed with his kids.
167	* ParentalAbandonment: The character's parents are missing or dead.
168	* ParentalBetrayal: Someone betrays their child.
169	* ParentalFashionVeto: Parents object to their child's fashion choice.
170	* ParentalHypocrisy: Parents did exactly what their children do now when they were that age, but now they disapprove of it.
171	* ParentalIncest: Sex between a parent and their child.
172	* ParentalLoveSong: A love song between a parent and their child.
173	* ParentalMarriageVeto: Parents not letting their kid marry their boyfriend or girlfriend.
174	* ParentalNeglect: A parent is aloof, careless or otherwise uncommitted to child-rearing.
175	* ParentalObliviousness: Parents seem oblivious to everything.
176	* ParentalSavingsSplurge: Your parents spend your college fund for unscrupulous reasons.
177	* ParentalSexualitySquick: Someone is {{squick}}ed out by the idea of their parents having sex.
178	* ParentalSubstitute: Someone who is not a parent raised a character.
179	* ParentChildTeam: A parent and child team up together.
180	* ParentExMachina: Parents that only exist to bail their children out.
181	* ParentNeverCameBackFromTheStore: A parent tells their family they're just going out when they're really abandoning them.
182	* ParentPreferredSuitor: When a parent supports one of their offspring's LoveInterests over another.
183	* ParentService: {{Fanservice}} in a kids' show.
184	* ParentsAreWrong: Parents need to let go of tradition so their kids can be free.
185	* ParentsAsPeople: Parents with proper character traits besides their parenthood.
186	* ParentsForADay: A baby or something like it is raised by one or two main characters for a day and leaves by the end of the episode.
187	* ParentsInDistress: The parents are in danger and the children must save them.
188	* ParentsKnowTheirChildren: A parent can identify their kid who's in disguise, surrounded by look-alikes, an impostor, or even if they haven't seen them for many years.
189	* ParentsSuckAtMatchmaking: Parents just can't pick someone who's right for their kids.
190	* ParentsWalkInAtTheWorstTime: A parent walks in on their child when the child is in a romantically compromising position.
191	* ParentWithNewParamour: A parent gets a new LoveInterest.
192	* PermissiveParents: Parents that encourage their kids to do adult stuffs.
193	* PervertDad: Fathers who come off as perverted towards their children (often their daughters).
194	* PiningAfterProtagonistsParent: A character carries a torch for the main character's (usually dead) parent.
195	* PlatonicCoParenting: Parents that aren't romantically involved with each other.
196	* PlayboyHasADaughter: TheCasanova experiences CharacterDevelopment after having a daughter.
197	* PlayingCatchWithTheOldMan: A (possibly surrogate) parent, their child, and their relationship are succinctly characterized by a simple game of catch.
198	* PromotionToParent: The oldest sibling takes charge of the parenting.
199	* PullingYourChildAway: Someone is marked as an outcast when a parent pulls their child away from them.
200	* PushoverParents: Parents who don't discipline their offspring.
201	* RaisedByGrandparents: A character who was raised by their grandparents.
202	* RaisedByNatives: An orphan child from a foreign land finds themselves in another land and is raised by that land's natives.
203	* RaisedByOrcs: A character is raised by evil characters.
204	* RaisedByTheSupernatural: A character was raised by supernatural beings.
205	* RaisedByWolves: A character was raised by animals.
206	* RefusedReunion: Parents who are missing or believed dead choose to remain missing or believed dead because their children would be better off not knowing they're really alive.
207	* RemarryingForYourKids: A widowed character with children remarries.
208	* ResentfulGuardian: A character hates suddenly having to raise a child.
209	* SharedFamilyQuirks: Two otherwise different family members share one quirk.
210	* ShootingLessonsFromYourParents: Having been taught how to handle a gun by dad or mom.
211	* SingleMomStripper: A single mother who moonlights as a stripper.
212	* SingleParentsAreUndesirable: Single parents have difficulty dating.
213	* SinkOrSwimFatherhood: A character unexpectedly becomes a parent and must learn on the job.
214	* SlidingScaleOfParentShamingInFiction
215	* SmallParentHugeChild: A parent is smaller than their child.
216	* SolomonDivorce: Divorced parents split custody of their children down the middle.
217	* SoMyKidsCanWatch: An actor/musician/director/etc. normally known for working in adult-oriented projects gets involved in a more child-friendly work ostensibly for their own children.
218	* SoProudOfYou: Everyone shows admiration for something good TheHero did, especially said hero's loved ones.
219	* SportsDad: A father who pushes his child into sports and other physical activities.
220	* StageMom: A mother puts her kid on the stage.
221	* Standard50sFather: A smart, reliable, neat dad, who often smokes a pipe.
222	* StandInParents: There is a father/child or mother/child event coming up and the kid enters but someone else pretends to be the parent.
223	* StrictParentsMakeSneakyKids: Restrictive parents just make their kids good liars.
224	* StrugglingSingleMother: A single parent, usually a mother, who struggle to support her child/children.
225	* SupernaturalProofFather: When a household starts experiencing supernatural events, the whole family except the dad experience them.
226	* SupernaturallyYoungParent: A child looks older than their parents due to supernatural causes.
227	* TakeYourChildToWorkDayPlot: A parent takes their child to visit their workplace for a day.
228	* TeamDad: The grumpy rule-enforcer of the team who acts as a parent.
229	* TeamMom: The surrogate mother to a group of friends.
230	* TeasingParent: Parent(s) teasing their children and/or playing jokes on them.
231	* TeenPregnancy: A teenage girl gets pregnant.
232	* TellMeAboutMyFather: Someone has no memories of one parent and asks the other to tell about the missing/dead one.
233	* ThatThingIsNotMyChild: A character is used to create offspring in a way that makes them refuse to identify as the child's parent.
234	* TimeOut: Misbehaving children or pets are grounded or put in time out.
235	* ToughLove: Doing things that seem mean but are ultimately kind or have good intentions.
236	* TheTrapParents: An orphan gains some parents that don't want them to hang around their friends.
237	* TrappedAtTheDinnerTable: Parents don't let children leave the dinner table until they've eaten everything on their plate.
238	* TrulySingleParent: Someone clones themselves if they want kids.
239	* TurningIntoYourParent: A grown child has an embarrassing realization that they and their parent aren't that different.
240	* TwerpSweating: When a teenage girl has a date and comes over to pick her up, he hangs out with the girl's BoyfriendBlockingDad.
241	* UncannyFamilyResemblance: Someone looks a ''lot'' like people related to them.
242	* UnflappableGuardian: A perfectly competent parent.
243	* UnnamedParent: The parents' names are not revealed.
244	* UselessBystanderParent: The parent enables bullying/abuse by doing nothing.
245	* VillainousParentalInstinct: Even evil people will protect their children.
246	* VisitByDivorcedDad: A separated parent visits the family.
247	* WackyParentSeriousChild: The child is often more mature than their parent.
248	* WellDoneDadGuy: A role model longs for the approval of their followers.
249	* WhenYouComingHomeDad: Someone's dad is almost too busy for them.
250	* WhereDidWeGoWrong: When a kid turns out different than the parents hoped, the parents wonder where they went wrong.
251	* WhoWillTakeTheKids: Parents wonder who would look after the kids if something bad happened.
252	* WhyAreYouNotMySon: Parents compare their son/daughter to their son's/daughter's friend. Jealousy ensues.
253	* WickedStepmother: A stepmother who is cruel to her stepchildren, at worst wanting them dead.
254	* WinningOverTheKids: When someone bonds with their LoveInterest's kids.
255	* WonderChild: A person who is supposed to be infertile ends up with kids anyway.
256	* YouAreGrounded: A parent grounds their child.
257	* YouKilledMyFather: Someone gets revenge on a baddie who murdered their family member.
258	* YourSonAllAlong: Alice thinks Bob is Carol's son, but he's actually hers.
259	* YoureNotMyFather: Someone rebuffs someone posing as a parent by saying something along the lines of "You're not my mother/father!"
260	[[/index]]

Context Main / TheParentTrope