While sometimes parents on television shows are totally amazing and we wish we had them in our lives, other times they can be rather horrible at the parenting thing.
Some fans have pointed out the bad behavior of the main characters on The Big Bang Theory , but their parents could be just as bad, if not worse.
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Here are 10+ times the parents on the show were actually awful.
1. Beverly’s favoritism of Sheldon.
Beverly and Sheldon got along really well, but she took things too far when she seemed to care more about Sheldon than Leonard.
This favoritism clearly bothered Leonard, and it was just one of the many ways that his mother was never affectionate with him.
2. Penny’s parents gave her brother a lot more attention.
Unfortunately, it’s often the problem child who gets more attention, and this was the case with Penny’s brother.
Even on Penny’s own wedding day, her parents were still more worried about making sure her brother was on his best behavior, and they made it all about him.
3. Penny’s dad was disappointed she wasn’t a boy.
It’s never a good thing when parents make a child feel bad for not being born the gender their parents wanted.
Penny was clearly upset and knew that her dad, Wyatt, wanted her to be a boy. Instead of loving her for who she was, he tried to push her to be more masculine.
4. Beverly used her son as a test subject.
Beverly Hofstadter didn’t really have many good parenting moments, and it definitely wasn’t cool that she used Leonard as a test subject for so many of her studies.
This seems pretty unethical, and it doesn’t seem like something a good scientist or parent would do.
And, private information about Leonard wound up in textbooks.
Because Beverly wrote so much about Leonard’s childhood, he ended up being talked about in college psychology courses.
This means that people all over the country and even the world, including Penny, learned about things like Leonard’s breastfeeding habits as a baby.
5. Howard’s dad left his family.
Howard’s father did one of the worst things a parent can do when he abandoned his family and kids.
When Howard was just 11, his father, Sam, left him. Howard Wolowitz has serious daddy issues. Howard only ever really heard from him after that when he sent Howard a card when he was 18.
And, Howard’s mother wanted him to be co-dependent.
Howard was the stereotypical example of a nerdy guy who lived with his mother in a co-dependent relationship.
His mother encouraged this by relying on Howard so much and wanting him to be the “man of the house” after her husband left. She made it difficult for him to be independent.
6. Beverly didn’t celebrate her son’s birthday.
While not everyone makes a big deal out of birthdays, Beverly didn’t have a good reason (like a religious one) to ignore her son’s day of birth.
He never got to have a real birthday party, and it seems like he just missed out on some of the best things about childhood.
7. When Raj’s parents tried to make him choose sides.
After Raj’s parents divorced, they did something that commonly happens in these situations, but it’s something that is devastating for kids.
They would put him in the middle of their fights, and they each wanted Raj to side with them. This definitely wasn’t a fair position for him to be in.
8. Bernadette’s mother hurt her during pregnancy.
Bernadette tells Howard on the show about the way her mother treated her growing up.
She abused substances while pregnant with Bernadette. Bernadette even credits her mother’s constant use of cigarettes during pregnancy for why she was born so small.
And, her mother relied on her for childcare.
When someone has a lot of kids, the older kids often have more responsibility than in a small family.
However, the fact that she would put Bernadette in charge of her five siblings seemed really neglectful. It wasn’t fair to any of those kids.
9. Sheldon’s father had an anger issue.
While Sheldon’s mother, Mary Cooper, really loved her son, even if she could be a bit intense, his dad didn’t seem like that great of a parent.
Sheldon said that he had anger issues and that he also had struggles with drinking too much.
10. Amy’s mother was extremely controlling.
While fans didn’t get to hear much about Amy’s parents, it was clear that Amy’s mother was super controlling and not a kind person.
Her mother was also quite demeaning toward her daughter, and she overall made life difficult for her.
She even locked her in a closet.
Truthfully, most of the mothers from The Big Bang Theory weren’t that great to their children. So, it seems like many of these characters had “mommy issues.”
However, one of the worst things is when Amy’s own mother would control her by doing things like locking her in a closet.
11. Leonard’s mother kissed Sheldon.
It should go without saying that this is the ultimate violation of trust. Beverly has screwed up more than her fair share of Leonard’s relationships over the years.
She should have respected that boundary, but instead, she pounced on Sheldon like a lion hunting a gazelle.
12. Sheldon’s father cheated on his mother.
Have you ever wondered why Sheldon knocks three times before entering a room? The truth will break your heart.
When he was only 13-years-old, Sheldon had the unfortunate luck of walking in on his father having coitus with another woman.
To compound the betrayal even more, it happened while his mother was away at Bible study.
Sheldon explained to Penny that ever since that day, he always knocks three times before entering a room so as to not see something that will disturb or upset him.
“The first one’s traditional, but two and three are for people to get their pants on.”
13. Beverly Hofstadter openly ridicules Sheldon’s mother.
As a staunch atheist and academic, it isn’t hard to imagine why Beverly would have trouble gelling with Mary. Their beliefs are in complete contrast with one another.
Beverly often takes things too far, condemning Mary’s faith and questioning her intelligence.
But Mary doesn’t it take it lying down.
Mary might praise Jesus but she still has a serpent’s tongue. She gives it right back to Beverly without missing a beat.
Mary also often compares Beverly to a vampire, since she’s so cold and lifeless.
14. When Raj’s father told him that he’d given up on him.
Yes, it was high time that Raj began making it on his own in the world. No one over the age of 25 should be solely relying on their parents for financial support, and even that’s a stretch.
But to abandon your son because he’s unlucky in love? That’s harsh.
15. Mary Cooper’s casual racist remarks.
Mary Cooper, well-intentioned as she may be, is the epitome of casual racism and good old-fashioned ignorance.
She’s insulted Raj’s Indian heritage, openly scoffed at Howard’s faith, and made countless other cringe-worthy comments that don’t warrant repeating.
She also forces her faith upon her son.
There’s one person on Earth who Sheldon never challenges, and that’s his mother. Even though his beliefs are in direct opposition to hers, he never condemns her for her faith.
Yet every time he makes a visit home, she forces him to pray with her.
