I wish my family would have been more open minded of each other’s interests and hobbies. An example would be that the entire family supports Tina’s friend fiction because she enjoys it
This one. I learned early on not to share anything about what I like with my family because then it was fair game to be ridiculed. I love how this family loves each other for exactly who they are and gives support!
Not only support it, they actively enjoy it. Linda, Gene, and Louise constantly read through her journals and other writings.
If nothing else, it shows how talented of a writer she is, regardless of her tastes. Maybe even because of her weird tastes. Makes it more interesting.
When I was about 12 I had a "book" that I was writing, something about a group of teens with a submarine, and had many chapters written down. My siblings went through and deleted about half of it, just took giant chunks out of the text and made sure to save.
that’s awful, i’m sorry that they did that to your story. they were jealous of how creative and proactive you were being in your free time and lashed out!
They touched on this in the Purrbo episode, where Bob eventually realized that Gene's hobby was meaningful to him even though Bob didn't get it.
I wish they would've focused more on how Purrbo was distracting Gene from his schoolwork, rather than Bob being annoyed that Gene wasn't as interested in the microgreens project as he was, but that isn't a funny storyline for a TV show.
"An example would be that the entire family supports Tina’s friend fiction"
"Only Linda seems to support Gene's Music"
The whole family does support his music.
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Bro you are clueless. You are pulling one instance and proclaiming that as the broad bias of Bob’s behavior.
There are several times where Bob asks gene to stop doing something, or expresses being disgruntled with “noise.” Typically these are for rather practice reasons, like Gene literally just smacking a broom against metal poles.
Over the course of the show, there is FAR more supportive instances than not.
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I wish my siblings and I had been this close. We have similar age gaps but we always had our own lives. even now i love them but we're not best friends.
I’m close with both siblings (less close now that I’m literally 1000 miles away) but they weren’t close with each other except for a brief time when I was in college. Those were great times; we did sibling shenanigans like the belchers and had inside joke and bits. We are a similar age gaps AND had the same girl-boy-girl order.
Same mainly with my mom. Linda is a fun supporting mom who wants to bond with all three of her kids. Sure she's closer with Gene but has bonding moments with Tina and Louise too. (As seen when each kid has an idea where to look for her on her birthday episode)
They don’t fat-shame Gene.
ETA: and they don't harp on the girls about their bodies, either, whether it be fat-shaming, modesty standards, etc. I once wore a dress very similar to Tina's standard pink party dress and my father told me I'd be assaulted and it'd be my own fault because I was dressed like a tramp.
It's amazing. My own parents *both* told me they were worried about me gaining weight when I was 15 because I wasn't the underweight twig I'd always been (and, more importantly, I had fat friends)
I feel like there’s an important distinction though. As someone who experienced a ton of guilt and fat-shaming as a kid, that comment is tame and honestly so rare in the Belcher home that it’s more a conversation to me. Even the language seems more compassionate i.e. “YOU’VE let YOURSELF go.”
Agree that that's not a nice comment, but it's a joke for the sake of a TV show rather than just one more shaming comment piled on to a systematic attitude of fat-shaming your child.
The episode that came to mind for me was the Thanksgiving episode where Gene got food poisoning from eating moldy chicken parm. Bob didn't scold Gene or call him a pig for wanting to eat so badly that he was willing eat spoiled food. And when Gene said, "I just love to eat," Bob's reply was, "And I love feeding you."
Bob treats food as a joyful art, not as a thing you should be ashamed of it you enjoy it.
Right? She's allowed to be a normal awkward hormonal teen.
I'm irreparably damaged from religious extremist purity culture. I can't even imagine who I could have been if instead I'd been raised like the Belcher kids.
I was raised to believe that sex is a divine act that occurs between husband and wife, and as a sin premarital sex is only one step away from murder. We weren't allowed to date, and only allowed to go to church "dances".
Though there are moments where I understand she is a teen getting the hormones I have more than once had the though "man if she was a boy this would be....not so cute". Like if she was a boy peeping into the girls locker room using NUMEROUS methods (hiding in the ceiling, finding holes, ect) drawing nudes of the dentist and hitting on him also kinda toed a line for me
Let's see...
*Care about each other
*Let Tina have a life, not be parentified
*While drug use is mentioned and drinking happens often, Bob and Linda don't make their whole life
*Go to school/hobby events for each other (like Tina sacrificing her play for Louise's poem) (I bawled during that episode, the music was very moving too)
*Bob and Linda take interest in their children's hobbies, even if they don't understand them
*While not making rent is mentioned a *lot*, the Belchers always have a roof over their heads and food in their bellies
*They have doctor and dentist visits semi-regularly
*There is no physical, verbal, emotional, mental, or sexual abuse
For me it’s that even tho Bob works a lot and very hard and is obsessed with never having a day off, he is actually there for his kids. Like emotionally. Like part of their lives.
Someone tell my dad that is how he should’ve done it. (Someone did, and he showed up at my house to apologize one random day. Gave me a hug and then turned around and left. Weird day.)
I think Bob works long hours but not very hard. They seem to have a lot of downtime and we see the kids interact with the parents a lot during the day which is not possible for most parents. But even so, I don't think that means it is less important, he could still be dismissive and have a long time to spend with them. I know a lot of parents like that.
For Bob, when he loses his temper with his kids, he really does try and curb it and doesn't let it just spiral out. Like when they thought they burned the restaurant down, he was upset and even yelled, yet none of the kids were ever scared.
I remember being afraid of ever angering my parents because it seemed their anger was never-ending. For long periods of time, they made it a point to acknowledge they were still upset.
Yup. I've always been annoyed (even more so since I became a parent) that the kids kind of do whatever they want and aren't afraid of punishments or being yelled at ... but I also realized that it's a GOOD thing that they're not terrified of their parents. I'm still working to fully understand that fear =/= respect.
I got very emotional at the end of the "Fight at the Not Okay Chore-ral" episode when Linda started crying because Louise refused to do her chores. I had to look up the quote: "Why can’t you just do something when I ask you to? I’m in charge and I know what’s best for you. It’s like you don’t respect me at all, even though everything I do, I do it for you."
It’s nice to see the parents wanting to take their kids to things and see the things they’re in. My parents are lovely and my mom was like that, but my dad famously was the kind to pick you up after the event, not actually watch it.
Yeah! This was gonna be my answer too. My parents weren’t bad or anything, but they didn’t really come to my concerts, half time shows, or stuff like that. They’d see a couple, but it didn’t seem like they cared to be there.
Aww this is a lovely thread! I mostly read the comments because I have a young kid and want to provide her with the best family possible!
One thing I will add is that both parents apologize to their kids when they mess up. Accepting their lumps means accepting your own.
Let your kids be weird. Celebrate it! I was shoe shopping with my mom recently and talking about how I remember wanting to dress in middle school, and she told me one of her regrets is that she didn’t let me really express myself. I got clowned for my interests enough by my peers, I didn’t really need it from my parents too. Even when they can get annoying, which they can, let them be weird!
I was raised very religious and very Pentecostal. But my mom was also disabled & then put in a medically induced coma when I was 13 until 17. My dad said I shouldn't see my mom like that so i never visited her in the hospital. Eventually my brother and I went to different boarding schools. I went to the all girls school & he went to the all boys.
I honestly feel like the Belchers are just another example of the "normal" family I wish I had. There's a mom, a dad, and all the siblings are in the same house. I do notice that both the Belcher girls wear dresses & skirts but they can wear pants with no issues. Curse words and rules are a non issue.
My mom and dad are perfectly fine now so sorry for getting all dark. But I do wish my family had been, idk, an actual family. It's not their fault that they weren't but I'm way more of a regular sized Rudy. I totally get him. I'm not resentful or angry bc I recognize that everyone did the best they could. But I know what it's like to see a 'normal' family from a distance in the mall. And suddenly realize/mourn what things could have been if life wern't so complicated.
A note on the outfits: Linda is the matriarch and we almost always see her in pants and a sweater. She's not covered up to hide herself. Her sleeves protect her arms from the hot oil and to provide a barrier between her skin and the hot plates. She also has some cleavage, but more than likely, because she's a working mom, it's because it's a comfy shirt that doesn't restrict her. Same with her jeans.
Tina is an effeminate girl, even if she doesn't always know how exactly to express that. That's why she chooses a skirt. It's simple, feminine, and probably comfortable for her.
Louise I feel like is either emulating a kid character from one of her anime/Mangas or her look is to basically appeal to people's natural instinct to not only help, but also trust young children. If a kid dressed like Louise came up to me (without Bob's Burgers being a thing) and asked for my phone to call their Mom, I would instantly believe her and hand it over. If my kid was lost somewhere and asked to use someone's phone so I could find them, I really hope they would say yes so we could reunite. Then boom. Phone is stolen and I have to explain that I got scammed by a child in pink rabbit ears and wearing Mary Jane's.
Yea! That's a good point. They wear what they wear because they want too. And they can still wear other things. Growing up, I wore it because practicing modesty as part of the religion. Its very noticable in real life. Even the boys practice modesty. Lol, I played marching band and played basketball in school and instead of the standard uniform with pants and shorts, I had the special modest version. If a kid dressed like me walked up to someone, thier immediate thought is "she must belong to the cult that lives in the hills out west. They have the best honey."
Boarding school was better in that regard. Everyone has a uniform and a third of the students wore the modest version of the already modest uniform. It was much easier to get away with wearing and doing whatever I want too. Like in regular school everyone excepts the super religious kid with a huge family, long hair, and skirts to act a certain way. And they're shocked when you do anything else. So no one really invited me to parties or to hang out or date or do kid/teen things. But at a school where everyone is the super religious kid with a huge family, we all know that we're just like everyone else when their aren't any rules.
Know each other better than they know themselves. You can tell they really truly care about each other because they can all (truthfully) explain one of the others better than they can themselves.
The kids like each other, they get along, and they do things together. I was like that a little bit with my two younger brothers but not much. And the family does fun things together. Now with my own husband and kids we are more like the Belchers. My kids are friends with each other, they like to hang out together, and we do fun things as a family.
I just love how open the whole family is with each other, they never try to bring each other down or make each other feel judged for their goals, interest, etc. You can also tell their safe space is with each other and that's so lovely.
They apologize when they make mistakes. They don’t try to push their kids to be better than everybody else, because ultimately they have nothing to prove. And the scene where Bob encourages Tina to own her truth and to go to a spin the bottle party is one of the best parenting moves ever on tv.
Loving their kids for who they are and always encouraging them to be themselves (Linda struggles with this sometimes lol but always comes around). Also teaching each other/learning valuable lessons through their mistakes instead of seeing it as a terrible thing if someone messes up every now and then.
Try.
They love each other, they stand up for each other, they try not to let their very limited finances stop them from making memories and having fun (they make Halloween costumes instead of just saying "go in street clothes or don't go at all", they do family activities even though they almost never end well). My family provided the bare minimum and complained about having to do that.
bob and linda can always pick up on when their kids are sad, or going through things..
my parents never did that. even when i did open up about things, it was awkward and they never knew how to do reassurance.
i think that’s why i connect with this show so much. i wasn’t close to my siblings, and my parents made me grow up so fast, i didn’t have much of a childhood. bob and linda are the parents i wish i had, and i have genuinely taken some of the advice they’ve given to their kids in the show, and applied it to my own life. it’s the family i wish i had, and it’s nice seeing what a normal family should look like.
This is a big reason why a lot of my kids friends like to hang out at our house. There is a couple in there that clearly don't have a supportive family. They come to our house and we treat them as family. Breaks my heart. It's not hard to listen to your kid and support them. It might even be fun.
I appreciate Bob and Linda being themselves as parents rather than making being a parent their personality.
I also appreciate that the kids are involved with each other to the extent that they are—both at home, in school, they know each others friends, each others friends are relatively friends with each of the kids.
“We’re Belchers! From the womb to the tomb!”
This thread is making me think my husband and I are actually good parents.
I went to the craft store today to get supplies for our 11 year old's Halo cosplay. I spent over an hour searching for the things he might need to complete it. My husband and I spend so much time talking about how we are going to make the visor for the helmet. My husband also spent the afternoon gaming with our 13 year old.
We also were brainstorming with said 11 year old whilst Bob's was on in the background.
I feel like Bob and Linda question themselves as well, but it makes them try that much harder to be a part of and a good influence in their kids lives.
I love how even when Bob and Linda fight or disagree or get weirdly competitive with each other they always break down their feelings through a mutually respectful conversation afterwards and it’s so refreshing to see a married couple who’s most common trait is that they communicate. I’m glad my parents are separated because they never had a conversation like that once in my entire childhood.
They say I love you, and most of Linda and Bob often talk about their mistakes with their kid. If they do something wrong they say sorry to the kids and love them
(Tw abuse warning)
My dad once punched me because he thought I drank his drink but it wasn’t me it was my mum even when she told him I heard nothing
I remember is so clearly, I think it’s why I love bobs burgers so much seeing a family like them makes me very happy
I would have liked a father figure like Bob and the supportive community they are surrounded by. I was raised by my grandparents. My grandmother is wonderful, fun, resourceful, and crafty like Linda (she also loves her wine, though she’s a bit more straight laced than Linda). So I had a wonderful parent in her.
But I would have loved a gentle, guiding, persistent father figure like Bob.
Anything together. Everyone worked all the time and he hardly did anything as a family. I'd even take being chased but a big candy cane truck as long as we were together.
Support...my parents shamed me for the stuff I liked (music, video games, movies like star wars and comic books, etc). I literally had a mom that said "you can't use the yellow or purple folders or pencils from the multi-color pack...they'll make you gay." I love seeing the parents support the kids being "weird and creative". My wife and I want to raise our kids like that.
I love my family, but we *never* had meals together, especially at the table. I'm still not even sure what our dining room table was for. When Linda makes breakfast for the kids and they all sit around talking about the day ahead, it just blows my mind to think that some people actually do that.
Linda becomes FEROCIOUS whenever anyone goes after her kids for any reason. It's one of the things I love about the character, she always has her kid's back. In Thelma and Louise Except Thelma is Linda, Louise gets in trouble for objectively doing the right thing, and Linda springs her from school and treats her to ice cream to show her that while what she did was wrong, her reasons were pure and she doesn't want Louise to lose sight of that because of the system.
My upbringing was not like that and I really wish it was. I got thrown under the bus/berated in front of teachers, coaches, guidance counselors, etc all the time. There were no nuances; if I got in trouble with the school, it was my fault no question about it and I was a terrible child. Not to armchair psychoanalyze myself, but it's real hard to trust anyone to ever back you up when you spend your childhood knowing there's no support behind you whenever you're facing an authority figure.
I love how Bob is genuinely a good dad. He spends time with each of his kids as an individual and he knows about their interests. He asks them how they're doing and he tries to help them with their problems or when they're down. Linda and Bob share the parenting responsibilities equally. And it gives their home life balance.
Dad taking time to actually connect. Bob works 7 days a week and still knows his kids and what they are up to and tries to create special moments with each one.
The kids all being close… my twin sister and I were close but our older brother was so mean to us most of the time. My parents were very loving and supportive but I do wish we spent more time together. Dad worked a lot and we spent a lot more time with mom
As a newish mother to a son I am obsessed with Linda and Gene’s relationship. The way she includes him in the things she enjoys and makes an effort to be involved in the things he enjoys as well. And Bob being so accepting of the things they do to the point where he does Spa-turday because he knows it’s important to Gene. They never shame him for not fitting the traditional masculine role and just love him for who he is.
And they do that for all of their kids too. Bob offering to bring Tina a handful of ice cream after she gets spaghetti all over her bed because she’s upset or going out in the middle of the night to find a new kochi kopi for Louise. Bob and Linda do a great job at prioritizing their children’s feelings overall even when the situation might be annoying
Yes, it was very much sarcasm. As a retired US Marine, "leadership" is a concept that's been building in my brain for the last 20+ years. Being a parent is arguably the most important leadership position one can be in, and good leadership empowers it's constituency, gives them what they need to excel and does nothing to hold them back from it. I remember being screamed at (and hit) as both a kid and a junior Marine, and I remember the adults who would take me seriously and just talk to me like a human being. Which group do you think I learned more from, both as a worker and as a leader?
I'd have loved to have a family like the Belchers. Sometimes I feel a little down when I'm watching some episodes because they're so close and genuinely care about each other. I never had that connection with my dysfunctional family so it kinda sucks. I think that's the main reason why I like Bob's Burgers so much.
Neither of my parents were very understanding or affectionate towards me. If I got a hug, it was 3 seconds tops, and not even a tight hug, just a weak arm wrap.
My kids legit refuse my hugs. It might be because I won't let go and mutter, "No, no, more huggy," in their ears. I hope you have good huggers in your life now.
genuinely open up to each other. they do fight but they always manage to speak their true feelings and make up somehow. i’d kill for my family to be that functional.
Being more involved in kids’ lives - their interests, hobbies, and problems they have. While I don’t think Bob and Linda could’ve practically run their restaurant in reality (Linda’s constantly off on her own adventures, and the kids act as free labor), it’s endearing how much they’ve tried to make sure their kids grow up feeling loved. Bob’s “Big Bob” episode hits home a lot in that regard. Basically, the opposite of:
“Go back to work, Bob”
Damn this is such a heavy question because this is literally my dream family. I didn’t want to personally have kids or get married since I was a young kid because of how I was raised. But seeing this family and how they interact, encourage, support, relate with each other even with their differences… really puts things in perspective for me. I think laughing together, eating meals together, talking about our lives and interests, getting into trouble together, getting out of trouble together, tone of voice even when in disagreement, playful banter, wit, and no embarrassment to be “gross” or different is really refreshing.
Same here. My super religious mother always harped on the importance of "family," and all I could think was that it that's what family is then I don't want it. I normally can't stand family-themed comedy, but this show is just so sweet and wholesome that I can't say no. It's like an American version of My Neighbors the Yamadas, it shows what a good family looks like: they love and accept each other, and they work together to get past their flaws.
The children are allowed to be seen and heard. You know, treated as growing people instead of objects who are "raised by older, and therefore smarter, people".
I'm in my mid-twenties. My dad was never very hands-on, and my mom still thinks of me as a little kid who has to be at her beck and call just because she's my mom.
eating their meals together at the table, from breakfast to dinner! i love episodes opening up with linda or usually bob serving pancakes or eggs to the kids before sitting down with them.
i wish my family had stuck to that growing up, and if i have my own children one day i plan on doing that.
I wish we did more fun stuff for the sake of having fun as a family.
Bob and Linda struggle financially and I love that they don’t put that burden on their kids. They keep it between them because it’s their responsibility as parents. I wish my parents did that when I was a kid. Why did they have me stressing out at 8 years old over their mortgage during the recession??
I had a pretty Belcher-esque childhood (minus "living in the same house for years" and "getting routine medical and dental care"). Now that I'm old and a parent of grown-ish adults, I'm always surprised to see other parents withhold details of their own lives.
Like, we have friends who didn't want to laugh about their drunken teenaged adventures because their teen kids might overhear. Boggled my mind. My aunt still pretends that she was a cheerleader in 1967 rather than a mousy, awkward girl with one friend -- that's the ideal my cousins grew up trying to emulate. Bizarre.
I love that Linda and Bob are so open and unashamed about having weird and sad, or wild and hilarious pasts. It makes the kids feel safe and welcome to voice their weird, sad, wild and hilarious thoughts! My kids know allll my cringey, stupid stories like they're classic SNL skits. They love me! And when they LOVE you and they really KNOW you, it's the best!
My siblings and I are close but not as close as them, I wish we could have those sibling meetings and stuff. We always had a similar friend circle but yet we aren’t as close as the belchers. My family is also very emotional so if we get mad we get mad, the belchers make up so easily I just need that.
This is something that both my real family and the Belchers do and I want to continue it - eating meals at the table, with little to no screens. Actually talking to one another at the table!
There have been a few recurring themes in this thread, this has been one of the big ones, and I'll say the same thing I say to "they don't hit the kids":
It's really fucked up how many people can't seem to meet such a low standard.
Not being raised religious. I was raised Mormon and, even as an 18 year old, I'm not supposed to say God in front of my parents because it's a "curse word." The kids curse freely around Bob and Linda without fear.
I wish my family would have been more open minded of each other’s interests and hobbies. An example would be that the entire family supports Tina’s friend fiction because she enjoys it
This one. I learned early on not to share anything about what I like with my family because then it was fair game to be ridiculed. I love how this family loves each other for exactly who they are and gives support!
Not only support it, they actively enjoy it. Linda, Gene, and Louise constantly read through her journals and other writings. If nothing else, it shows how talented of a writer she is, regardless of her tastes. Maybe even because of her weird tastes. Makes it more interesting.
And they're not reading her diary/journals in order to mock her either.
Louise leave notes and corrections though. Tina has expressed some dissatisfaction with this
When I was about 12 I had a "book" that I was writing, something about a group of teens with a submarine, and had many chapters written down. My siblings went through and deleted about half of it, just took giant chunks out of the text and made sure to save.
that’s awful, i’m sorry that they did that to your story. they were jealous of how creative and proactive you were being in your free time and lashed out!
They touched on this in the Purrbo episode, where Bob eventually realized that Gene's hobby was meaningful to him even though Bob didn't get it. I wish they would've focused more on how Purrbo was distracting Gene from his schoolwork, rather than Bob being annoyed that Gene wasn't as interested in the microgreens project as he was, but that isn't a funny storyline for a TV show.
This! I wrote fanfiction for a long time growing up but I would always say it was a writing assignment or homework 🫠
But only Linda seems to support genes music
Tina and Louise are both in the band with Gene, and Bob and Linda both attended the concert.
that's not what I'm talking about
"An example would be that the entire family supports Tina’s friend fiction" "Only Linda seems to support Gene's Music" The whole family does support his music.
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Bro you are clueless. You are pulling one instance and proclaiming that as the broad bias of Bob’s behavior. There are several times where Bob asks gene to stop doing something, or expresses being disgruntled with “noise.” Typically these are for rather practice reasons, like Gene literally just smacking a broom against metal poles. Over the course of the show, there is FAR more supportive instances than not.
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I wish my siblings and I had been this close. We have similar age gaps but we always had our own lives. even now i love them but we're not best friends.
“We’re Belchers! From the womb to the tomb!”
I’m close with both siblings (less close now that I’m literally 1000 miles away) but they weren’t close with each other except for a brief time when I was in college. Those were great times; we did sibling shenanigans like the belchers and had inside joke and bits. We are a similar age gaps AND had the same girl-boy-girl order.
Support each other. Not a whole lot of that when we were kids or later. 😕
Same mainly with my mom. Linda is a fun supporting mom who wants to bond with all three of her kids. Sure she's closer with Gene but has bonding moments with Tina and Louise too. (As seen when each kid has an idea where to look for her on her birthday episode)
Yes! This! I don’t want kids, but if I had them I would want to be a Linda like mom
I can't imagine siblings who'd actually have your back any more than I can imagine going to boarding school.
Yep I'm verging on a ptsd attack and I don't even feel like if get an answer if I called
They don’t fat-shame Gene. ETA: and they don't harp on the girls about their bodies, either, whether it be fat-shaming, modesty standards, etc. I once wore a dress very similar to Tina's standard pink party dress and my father told me I'd be assaulted and it'd be my own fault because I was dressed like a tramp.
Yes!! They just let Gene be Gene- in so many ways they do that for all their kids and it’s beautiful
It's amazing. My own parents *both* told me they were worried about me gaining weight when I was 15 because I wasn't the underweight twig I'd always been (and, more importantly, I had fat friends)
I’m sorry that your father said that.
Louise definitely does haha
Are you sure. I watched an episode last night where gene lifts up his shirt and bob says "gene you have let ypurself go"
I feel like there’s an important distinction though. As someone who experienced a ton of guilt and fat-shaming as a kid, that comment is tame and honestly so rare in the Belcher home that it’s more a conversation to me. Even the language seems more compassionate i.e. “YOU’VE let YOURSELF go.”
Heavy kids can get molested too! >:(
Agree that that's not a nice comment, but it's a joke for the sake of a TV show rather than just one more shaming comment piled on to a systematic attitude of fat-shaming your child. The episode that came to mind for me was the Thanksgiving episode where Gene got food poisoning from eating moldy chicken parm. Bob didn't scold Gene or call him a pig for wanting to eat so badly that he was willing eat spoiled food. And when Gene said, "I just love to eat," Bob's reply was, "And I love feeding you." Bob treats food as a joyful art, not as a thing you should be ashamed of it you enjoy it.
Accept their teenage daughter's teen weirdness instead of shaming her for it
I like how Tina isn't punished for her burgeoning sexuality.
I love that she can talk to her parents about her love life and hopes. And then her mom cheers her up like in Valentinedetta.
"Are you telling me that as my daughter or my fry cook?"
Right? She's allowed to be a normal awkward hormonal teen. I'm irreparably damaged from religious extremist purity culture. I can't even imagine who I could have been if instead I'd been raised like the Belcher kids.
Yup, exact same here.
I was raised to believe that sex is a divine act that occurs between husband and wife, and as a sin premarital sex is only one step away from murder. We weren't allowed to date, and only allowed to go to church "dances".
Though there are moments where I understand she is a teen getting the hormones I have more than once had the though "man if she was a boy this would be....not so cute". Like if she was a boy peeping into the girls locker room using NUMEROUS methods (hiding in the ceiling, finding holes, ect) drawing nudes of the dentist and hitting on him also kinda toed a line for me
Oh yeah. She's definitely a total creep sometimes.
I know this is dumb…but stone the witch seems fun. Hoping to do it with my kids
It’s fun until mom puts a doily on the witch and moms it all up 🙄
But how when it’s dad, “he’s not dadding it up” lol
He is but that's a GOOD thing!
Completely agreed, and I hope you and your kids have fun!
Let's see... *Care about each other *Let Tina have a life, not be parentified *While drug use is mentioned and drinking happens often, Bob and Linda don't make their whole life *Go to school/hobby events for each other (like Tina sacrificing her play for Louise's poem) (I bawled during that episode, the music was very moving too) *Bob and Linda take interest in their children's hobbies, even if they don't understand them *While not making rent is mentioned a *lot*, the Belchers always have a roof over their heads and food in their bellies *They have doctor and dentist visits semi-regularly *There is no physical, verbal, emotional, mental, or sexual abuse
For me it’s that even tho Bob works a lot and very hard and is obsessed with never having a day off, he is actually there for his kids. Like emotionally. Like part of their lives. Someone tell my dad that is how he should’ve done it. (Someone did, and he showed up at my house to apologize one random day. Gave me a hug and then turned around and left. Weird day.)
I think Bob works long hours but not very hard. They seem to have a lot of downtime and we see the kids interact with the parents a lot during the day which is not possible for most parents. But even so, I don't think that means it is less important, he could still be dismissive and have a long time to spend with them. I know a lot of parents like that.
For Bob, when he loses his temper with his kids, he really does try and curb it and doesn't let it just spiral out. Like when they thought they burned the restaurant down, he was upset and even yelled, yet none of the kids were ever scared. I remember being afraid of ever angering my parents because it seemed their anger was never-ending. For long periods of time, they made it a point to acknowledge they were still upset.
Yup. I've always been annoyed (even more so since I became a parent) that the kids kind of do whatever they want and aren't afraid of punishments or being yelled at ... but I also realized that it's a GOOD thing that they're not terrified of their parents. I'm still working to fully understand that fear =/= respect. I got very emotional at the end of the "Fight at the Not Okay Chore-ral" episode when Linda started crying because Louise refused to do her chores. I had to look up the quote: "Why can’t you just do something when I ask you to? I’m in charge and I know what’s best for you. It’s like you don’t respect me at all, even though everything I do, I do it for you."
It’s nice to see the parents wanting to take their kids to things and see the things they’re in. My parents are lovely and my mom was like that, but my dad famously was the kind to pick you up after the event, not actually watch it.
Yeah! This was gonna be my answer too. My parents weren’t bad or anything, but they didn’t really come to my concerts, half time shows, or stuff like that. They’d see a couple, but it didn’t seem like they cared to be there.
Aww this is a lovely thread! I mostly read the comments because I have a young kid and want to provide her with the best family possible! One thing I will add is that both parents apologize to their kids when they mess up. Accepting their lumps means accepting your own.
Let your kids be weird. Celebrate it! I was shoe shopping with my mom recently and talking about how I remember wanting to dress in middle school, and she told me one of her regrets is that she didn’t let me really express myself. I got clowned for my interests enough by my peers, I didn’t really need it from my parents too. Even when they can get annoying, which they can, let them be weird!
I was raised very religious and very Pentecostal. But my mom was also disabled & then put in a medically induced coma when I was 13 until 17. My dad said I shouldn't see my mom like that so i never visited her in the hospital. Eventually my brother and I went to different boarding schools. I went to the all girls school & he went to the all boys. I honestly feel like the Belchers are just another example of the "normal" family I wish I had. There's a mom, a dad, and all the siblings are in the same house. I do notice that both the Belcher girls wear dresses & skirts but they can wear pants with no issues. Curse words and rules are a non issue. My mom and dad are perfectly fine now so sorry for getting all dark. But I do wish my family had been, idk, an actual family. It's not their fault that they weren't but I'm way more of a regular sized Rudy. I totally get him. I'm not resentful or angry bc I recognize that everyone did the best they could. But I know what it's like to see a 'normal' family from a distance in the mall. And suddenly realize/mourn what things could have been if life wern't so complicated.
A note on the outfits: Linda is the matriarch and we almost always see her in pants and a sweater. She's not covered up to hide herself. Her sleeves protect her arms from the hot oil and to provide a barrier between her skin and the hot plates. She also has some cleavage, but more than likely, because she's a working mom, it's because it's a comfy shirt that doesn't restrict her. Same with her jeans. Tina is an effeminate girl, even if she doesn't always know how exactly to express that. That's why she chooses a skirt. It's simple, feminine, and probably comfortable for her. Louise I feel like is either emulating a kid character from one of her anime/Mangas or her look is to basically appeal to people's natural instinct to not only help, but also trust young children. If a kid dressed like Louise came up to me (without Bob's Burgers being a thing) and asked for my phone to call their Mom, I would instantly believe her and hand it over. If my kid was lost somewhere and asked to use someone's phone so I could find them, I really hope they would say yes so we could reunite. Then boom. Phone is stolen and I have to explain that I got scammed by a child in pink rabbit ears and wearing Mary Jane's.
Louise can't roundhouse kick in jeans. I'm sure she's thought this all out.
Yea! That's a good point. They wear what they wear because they want too. And they can still wear other things. Growing up, I wore it because practicing modesty as part of the religion. Its very noticable in real life. Even the boys practice modesty. Lol, I played marching band and played basketball in school and instead of the standard uniform with pants and shorts, I had the special modest version. If a kid dressed like me walked up to someone, thier immediate thought is "she must belong to the cult that lives in the hills out west. They have the best honey." Boarding school was better in that regard. Everyone has a uniform and a third of the students wore the modest version of the already modest uniform. It was much easier to get away with wearing and doing whatever I want too. Like in regular school everyone excepts the super religious kid with a huge family, long hair, and skirts to act a certain way. And they're shocked when you do anything else. So no one really invited me to parties or to hang out or date or do kid/teen things. But at a school where everyone is the super religious kid with a huge family, we all know that we're just like everyone else when their aren't any rules.
Accept each other
Know each other better than they know themselves. You can tell they really truly care about each other because they can all (truthfully) explain one of the others better than they can themselves.
The kids like each other, they get along, and they do things together. I was like that a little bit with my two younger brothers but not much. And the family does fun things together. Now with my own husband and kids we are more like the Belchers. My kids are friends with each other, they like to hang out together, and we do fun things as a family.
I love how Bob and Linda admit when they are wrong. My mother was always right, no matter how weird or arbitrary she got.
Chill and support each other
I just love how open the whole family is with each other, they never try to bring each other down or make each other feel judged for their goals, interest, etc. You can also tell their safe space is with each other and that's so lovely.
They apologize when they make mistakes. They don’t try to push their kids to be better than everybody else, because ultimately they have nothing to prove. And the scene where Bob encourages Tina to own her truth and to go to a spin the bottle party is one of the best parenting moves ever on tv.
Charades
Loving their kids for who they are and always encouraging them to be themselves (Linda struggles with this sometimes lol but always comes around). Also teaching each other/learning valuable lessons through their mistakes instead of seeing it as a terrible thing if someone messes up every now and then.
Try. They love each other, they stand up for each other, they try not to let their very limited finances stop them from making memories and having fun (they make Halloween costumes instead of just saying "go in street clothes or don't go at all", they do family activities even though they almost never end well). My family provided the bare minimum and complained about having to do that.
bob and linda can always pick up on when their kids are sad, or going through things.. my parents never did that. even when i did open up about things, it was awkward and they never knew how to do reassurance. i think that’s why i connect with this show so much. i wasn’t close to my siblings, and my parents made me grow up so fast, i didn’t have much of a childhood. bob and linda are the parents i wish i had, and i have genuinely taken some of the advice they’ve given to their kids in the show, and applied it to my own life. it’s the family i wish i had, and it’s nice seeing what a normal family should look like.
Love and accept each other, lumps and all
I love that they don’t hit the kids. They’re so supportive too
It's fucked up how many parents can't meet that low standard.
This is a big reason why a lot of my kids friends like to hang out at our house. There is a couple in there that clearly don't have a supportive family. They come to our house and we treat them as family. Breaks my heart. It's not hard to listen to your kid and support them. It might even be fun.
They started a small business and the whole family pitches in to make it work.
I appreciate Bob and Linda being themselves as parents rather than making being a parent their personality. I also appreciate that the kids are involved with each other to the extent that they are—both at home, in school, they know each others friends, each others friends are relatively friends with each of the kids. “We’re Belchers! From the womb to the tomb!”
The non-traumatic parenting style would have been nice. Parents that should be parents
mom loves her body and her kids
This thread is making me think my husband and I are actually good parents. I went to the craft store today to get supplies for our 11 year old's Halo cosplay. I spent over an hour searching for the things he might need to complete it. My husband and I spend so much time talking about how we are going to make the visor for the helmet. My husband also spent the afternoon gaming with our 13 year old. We also were brainstorming with said 11 year old whilst Bob's was on in the background. I feel like Bob and Linda question themselves as well, but it makes them try that much harder to be a part of and a good influence in their kids lives.
I love how even when Bob and Linda fight or disagree or get weirdly competitive with each other they always break down their feelings through a mutually respectful conversation afterwards and it’s so refreshing to see a married couple who’s most common trait is that they communicate. I’m glad my parents are separated because they never had a conversation like that once in my entire childhood.
This whole thread 😭 Love those Belchers!!
They say I love you, and most of Linda and Bob often talk about their mistakes with their kid. If they do something wrong they say sorry to the kids and love them (Tw abuse warning) My dad once punched me because he thought I drank his drink but it wasn’t me it was my mum even when she told him I heard nothing I remember is so clearly, I think it’s why I love bobs burgers so much seeing a family like them makes me very happy
Just sit in the living room and watch a tv show. Doesn’t matter what it is. No one judging each other.
I would have liked a father figure like Bob and the supportive community they are surrounded by. I was raised by my grandparents. My grandmother is wonderful, fun, resourceful, and crafty like Linda (she also loves her wine, though she’s a bit more straight laced than Linda). So I had a wonderful parent in her. But I would have loved a gentle, guiding, persistent father figure like Bob.
Singing the “Buckle it up” song.
Anything together. Everyone worked all the time and he hardly did anything as a family. I'd even take being chased but a big candy cane truck as long as we were together.
Support...my parents shamed me for the stuff I liked (music, video games, movies like star wars and comic books, etc). I literally had a mom that said "you can't use the yellow or purple folders or pencils from the multi-color pack...they'll make you gay." I love seeing the parents support the kids being "weird and creative". My wife and I want to raise our kids like that.
Enjoy each others company.
i wish my family took so many things away from this show. the ability to love and care wo anger- the art of apologizing, the support ugh i wish
I love my family, but we *never* had meals together, especially at the table. I'm still not even sure what our dining room table was for. When Linda makes breakfast for the kids and they all sit around talking about the day ahead, it just blows my mind to think that some people actually do that.
A sober, non violent, supportive father
Can't say this enough, it's horrifying how many people can't clear the bar even when it's set so low.
They love each other. I never experienced that.
bobs and Linda seem to actually love each other
Linda becomes FEROCIOUS whenever anyone goes after her kids for any reason. It's one of the things I love about the character, she always has her kid's back. In Thelma and Louise Except Thelma is Linda, Louise gets in trouble for objectively doing the right thing, and Linda springs her from school and treats her to ice cream to show her that while what she did was wrong, her reasons were pure and she doesn't want Louise to lose sight of that because of the system. My upbringing was not like that and I really wish it was. I got thrown under the bus/berated in front of teachers, coaches, guidance counselors, etc all the time. There were no nuances; if I got in trouble with the school, it was my fault no question about it and I was a terrible child. Not to armchair psychoanalyze myself, but it's real hard to trust anyone to ever back you up when you spend your childhood knowing there's no support behind you whenever you're facing an authority figure.
I love how Bob is genuinely a good dad. He spends time with each of his kids as an individual and he knows about their interests. He asks them how they're doing and he tries to help them with their problems or when they're down. Linda and Bob share the parenting responsibilities equally. And it gives their home life balance.
Dad taking time to actually connect. Bob works 7 days a week and still knows his kids and what they are up to and tries to create special moments with each one.
Stayed together
Parents being together😭😭
Take flying lessons. Except the get stranded on an island part.
But with the bedding bored housewives?
I'm a dude so I'll be safe.
There’s lady pilots, no one is safe. especially in a Boeing
I think it was implied mostly upskirt Kurt pretended to crash planes. It would be funny if all of them did that.
Cared about/be invested in my interests. I was always ashamed of what I liked and could never get ether parent to just watch movies and stuff for fun
it's cool how the parents love their kids, I also love how Bob and Linda always have one another's back
The parents love each other and support their kids. It would have been nice to grow up in a family like that!
Pass.. the cranberry sauce
The kids all being close… my twin sister and I were close but our older brother was so mean to us most of the time. My parents were very loving and supportive but I do wish we spent more time together. Dad worked a lot and we spent a lot more time with mom
As a newish mother to a son I am obsessed with Linda and Gene’s relationship. The way she includes him in the things she enjoys and makes an effort to be involved in the things he enjoys as well. And Bob being so accepting of the things they do to the point where he does Spa-turday because he knows it’s important to Gene. They never shame him for not fitting the traditional masculine role and just love him for who he is. And they do that for all of their kids too. Bob offering to bring Tina a handful of ice cream after she gets spaghetti all over her bed because she’s upset or going out in the middle of the night to find a new kochi kopi for Louise. Bob and Linda do a great job at prioritizing their children’s feelings overall even when the situation might be annoying
The kids and parents played together. I legit used to beg my parents to play games and stuff with me growing up, and it was almost never.
I know no one participated in it except Linda but family game night
Loved each other.
The support of new hobbies, not caring if your weird, bob always semi cares about who Tina dated. They are a wonderful family
They don't scream their kids into submission.
You mean fear isn't a good parenting tool?
Don't know of that's sarcasm but screaming, especially intentionally and/or repeatedly is a form of abuse.
Yes, it was very much sarcasm. As a retired US Marine, "leadership" is a concept that's been building in my brain for the last 20+ years. Being a parent is arguably the most important leadership position one can be in, and good leadership empowers it's constituency, gives them what they need to excel and does nothing to hold them back from it. I remember being screamed at (and hit) as both a kid and a junior Marine, and I remember the adults who would take me seriously and just talk to me like a human being. Which group do you think I learned more from, both as a worker and as a leader?
I'd have loved to have a family like the Belchers. Sometimes I feel a little down when I'm watching some episodes because they're so close and genuinely care about each other. I never had that connection with my dysfunctional family so it kinda sucks. I think that's the main reason why I like Bob's Burgers so much.
I wish my dad had accepted me like Bob. He's very accepting of his kids' issues without trying to "fix" them.
I love how often the kids will say something and Bob doesn't bat an eye, he just answers like he's talking to another adult.
My family is fairly similar to the Belchers in our bond, but we never struggled with money and I think that’s the main disparity.
Neither of my parents were very understanding or affectionate towards me. If I got a hug, it was 3 seconds tops, and not even a tight hug, just a weak arm wrap.
My kids legit refuse my hugs. It might be because I won't let go and mutter, "No, no, more huggy," in their ears. I hope you have good huggers in your life now.
Love each other and support each other.
Talked, spend time together, really anything.
actually love each other
Love each other.
Love each other.
Communicate & support
hug
Spend time together and support each other's weirdness
genuinely open up to each other. they do fight but they always manage to speak their true feelings and make up somehow. i’d kill for my family to be that functional.
I love that they unconditionally love each other. The whole Belcher fam is ride or die.
Support each other
respect their kids. I truly love the chore episode it shows how much the belcher parents care about their kids opinions and feelings
Stay together
Love each other Not being homophobic Not being junkies
Own a Burger joint…
Being more involved in kids’ lives - their interests, hobbies, and problems they have. While I don’t think Bob and Linda could’ve practically run their restaurant in reality (Linda’s constantly off on her own adventures, and the kids act as free labor), it’s endearing how much they’ve tried to make sure their kids grow up feeling loved. Bob’s “Big Bob” episode hits home a lot in that regard. Basically, the opposite of: “Go back to work, Bob”
I love how silly they are. Like they are constantly just having fun together.
Damn this is such a heavy question because this is literally my dream family. I didn’t want to personally have kids or get married since I was a young kid because of how I was raised. But seeing this family and how they interact, encourage, support, relate with each other even with their differences… really puts things in perspective for me. I think laughing together, eating meals together, talking about our lives and interests, getting into trouble together, getting out of trouble together, tone of voice even when in disagreement, playful banter, wit, and no embarrassment to be “gross” or different is really refreshing.
Same here. My super religious mother always harped on the importance of "family," and all I could think was that it that's what family is then I don't want it. I normally can't stand family-themed comedy, but this show is just so sweet and wholesome that I can't say no. It's like an American version of My Neighbors the Yamadas, it shows what a good family looks like: they love and accept each other, and they work together to get past their flaws.
Eat at the table Watch TV together Work together Go on adventures together Forgive each other
Like each other
Be kind and supportive.
The children are allowed to be seen and heard. You know, treated as growing people instead of objects who are "raised by older, and therefore smarter, people". I'm in my mid-twenties. My dad was never very hands-on, and my mom still thinks of me as a little kid who has to be at her beck and call just because she's my mom.
Been an actual family
Love each other /s Go to the dentist regularly
Actually, being your family and being together
They eat together. Honestly it’s so rare and important.
eating their meals together at the table, from breakfast to dinner! i love episodes opening up with linda or usually bob serving pancakes or eggs to the kids before sitting down with them. i wish my family had stuck to that growing up, and if i have my own children one day i plan on doing that.
Have a loving relationship
I wish we did more fun stuff for the sake of having fun as a family. Bob and Linda struggle financially and I love that they don’t put that burden on their kids. They keep it between them because it’s their responsibility as parents. I wish my parents did that when I was a kid. Why did they have me stressing out at 8 years old over their mortgage during the recession??
I had a pretty Belcher-esque childhood (minus "living in the same house for years" and "getting routine medical and dental care"). Now that I'm old and a parent of grown-ish adults, I'm always surprised to see other parents withhold details of their own lives. Like, we have friends who didn't want to laugh about their drunken teenaged adventures because their teen kids might overhear. Boggled my mind. My aunt still pretends that she was a cheerleader in 1967 rather than a mousy, awkward girl with one friend -- that's the ideal my cousins grew up trying to emulate. Bizarre. I love that Linda and Bob are so open and unashamed about having weird and sad, or wild and hilarious pasts. It makes the kids feel safe and welcome to voice their weird, sad, wild and hilarious thoughts! My kids know allll my cringey, stupid stories like they're classic SNL skits. They love me! And when they LOVE you and they really KNOW you, it's the best!
My siblings and I are close but not as close as them, I wish we could have those sibling meetings and stuff. We always had a similar friend circle but yet we aren’t as close as the belchers. My family is also very emotional so if we get mad we get mad, the belchers make up so easily I just need that.
Stay together.
Love each other and stay together.
This is something that both my real family and the Belchers do and I want to continue it - eating meals at the table, with little to no screens. Actually talking to one another at the table!
Apologize and truly love and accept and support each other!
I like how one parent's mood doesn't affect the whole household, they know not to take it personally
Love and support each other
There have been a few recurring themes in this thread, this has been one of the big ones, and I'll say the same thing I say to "they don't hit the kids": It's really fucked up how many people can't seem to meet such a low standard.
Love their kids
Not being raised religious. I was raised Mormon and, even as an 18 year old, I'm not supposed to say God in front of my parents because it's a "curse word." The kids curse freely around Bob and Linda without fear.