The Coolest, Most Memorable Mothers And Daughters On TV

Photo: ABC

Claire, Haley, and Alex

Sometimes I play a drinking game when I watch Modern Family. Every time one of Claire’s children rolls their eyes at her, I have to drink. I’m often too drunk to make it through the entire half hour.

I’d like to snark on Claire’s uptight, type-A smothering, but I’m probably closer to her in my mothering style than any other woman on the list. Despite her constant tension and jaw-clenching, she really is deeply committed to the happiness of her children. Although she struggles to connect with her daughters, who find her intensity challenging, she always pushes through their annoyance to be present.

Alex is the most like her mother among her siblings, yet still finds Claire’s constant controlling completely insufferable. Alex, in her own way, is just as tightly wound as Claire, so they find common ground at the ineptitude of those around them. As many times as Alex is rolling her eyes at Claire, she’s also sharing a wink with her.

Claire finds less common ground with the oldest, Haley. Their mother/daughter experience is more about Haley trying to make her understand her, and Claire desperately trying to “get it.” As Haley as gotten older, Claire has loosened her control over her, and has even come to accept her Instagram job – a giant leap forward in Claire’s growth.