Bad parents...

[fajrdrako]

From fannish5: Name five characters who would make terrible parents. Or who already are terrible parents?

1. Graham Reid Mallett and Joleta.
   
2. Margaret Douglas and Matthew Lennox. I could name some others from the Dunnett books, but I'll forebear and continue with...
   
3. Lionel Luthor, the villainous father I loved to hate!
   
4. Bothari in the Bujold novels.
   
5. Scott Summers and Madelyne Pryor in X-Men - not because they were abusive or uncaring parents, but look what their child went through!

Comments

[dameruth.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't call Bothari a *bad* parent; kind of clueless (well, and psychotic, but that wasn't really his fault), but he really did love Elena and he *meant* to do as well for her as he could

Prince Serg, OTOH . . . D:

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Bothari loved Elena and meant to do well for her - and given his many handicaps, he succeeded rather well. But he was still possessive, over-protective, failed to recognize her concerns and failed to communicate with her, and lied to her about her mother and her situation. I'd hate to have had him as a father. The good side of her upbringing was her exposure to the Vorkosigan family.

Presumably Bothari's mother was a worse parent to him than he was to Elena, though.

[dameruth.livejournal.com]

I'm not gonna put Bothari on any "best parent evar" lists, but I've seen too many real-life situations involving parental neglect/abuse to be down on anyone who actually *cares* about their kid and *wants* to do well as a parent. I'm starting to think, in my own cynical way, that that's a far rarer parental situation than it should be. :/

Still, word on Bothari's mom. She's definitely down at the bottom of the list, what with encouraging her own son's sexual abuse by strangers.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm starting to think, in my own cynical way, that that's a far rarer parental situation than it should be. :/

It is... somewhat less than universal. Point. But one can still do a lot of harm to a child with good intentions.

[dameruth.livejournal.com]

. . . one can still do a lot of harm to a child with good intentions.

Won't argue that, but I will still contend that damage done in the absence of love and good intentions deserves the harsher judgment when determining "worst parent" status. Hell, look at Mark's Komarran foster-father (whatever his name is -- I forget it at the moment) in "Mirror Dance." I'd rather have Bothari as my dad, any day. Even Elena was pretty appalled when Cordelia filled her in on some details of Mark's past.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, there's definitely worse around than Bothari when it comes to parenting. But he strikes me as an interesting case of... a parent who has difficulty, rather than a parent who doesn't care.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

I'm with dameruth. I want to cut him some slack. But you're right, too, blast it.

Oh, well.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Bothari tried, and probably did the best he was capable of. But it was hardly advantageous from Elena's point of view.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

One does wonder if she'd have done better in the Imperial Orphanage, like the other children. I wonder if any of them ever got adopted out, or if that's how things are dealt with on Barrayar.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It would be interesting to know the answer to that.

[filkferengi]

As Lois might say, "That sounds like a job for Fanfic Woman." Wonder where she might be found? ;)

[vervassal.livejournal.com]

I wonder how Jerrot and Marthe would have gotten on? And would Jack be a good father? I think he probably would- he takes care of his team and he went to the end of the world for his baby brother.

Of course, he would outlive any children. Poor Jack.

Rose and the Doctor, OTOH, would (I think) make terrible parents. Martha might've been better. Donna... Donna strikes me as a good mother. And we know the Doctor's been there already.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I wonder how Jerrot and Marthe would have gotten on?

I would say they both had potential to be good parents, but as it stands, they would be terrible - because they hadn't really sorted themselves out as good people. Jerott tended to be judgmental and demanding of those he loved, and he drank too much to cope with pain and frustration. Marthe resented too much.

Adam and Kate would be great parents.

Archie Abernethy would be a great father; so nurturing and responsible.

Martha would be a good mother, I think. As would Donna, if it were the Donna from series 4, not the Donna she had been up to The Runaway Bride or the person she became at the end of "Journey's End". The Donna we saw in a parental role in "The Forest of Trees" seemed to be a good mother, much as I disliked the scenario.

I think Jack would be a wonderful father.