International Parents Day: 7 Lessons We Can Learn From Modern Family

Picture Courtesy: PR

Earlier this year, the decade long super hit family sitcom of the Dunphys and Pritchetts, bid us a heartfelt goodbye. The show that made waves in the comedy entertainment and is even considered as the pioneer of comedy, not just made us laugh but taught us how to live, love, accept, and forgive. With a total of 75 Emmy nominations and 22 wins, this series throughout its run of 11 seasons received widespread critical acclaim and fan love from around the globe.

On the occasion of International Parents Day, we look at the three sets of related families and their approach to life, love, and parenting. Here are some parenting lessons from the duos - Dunphys, Pritchetts, and the Tucker-Pritchett.

1. "Peer"-enting: Be a friend to your kids

Phil Dunphy, one of the most passionate dads on TV, the king of dad goals, dishes out some of the best advice almost every other episode. "Act like a parent, talk like a peer. I call it peer-enting". Quotes Phil in the first season. Peer-enting is being pals with your children while still guiding them. Throughout the show's run, we see Phil be the coolest, most honest, most loving father ever. He pulls off his crazy antics, he is a constant source of humor, and because of his childlike nature, he gets along the best with kids.

2. Celebrate small things

We see through all seasons how each family celebrates smallest of achievements of their kids. From Lily finally making friends as a kid, to Luke attending his first middle school dance, their families celebrate little things their kids learn and accomplish. With Mitch and Cam trying to figure out parenting after adopting the beautiful girl Lilly, they are all the more cautious with their parenting and although tend to overdo it at times, we absolutely love them for it! They are the newest members to the parenthood club, and while they make all the new parent mistakes, they are quick enough to learn from them and get better.

3. Live in the moment and spend holidays with family

It is easy to be caught up with the hustle of the everyday life. As a parent, you need to be successful in your job, get money home, take care of the kids and the house and manage yours and kids' expectations. This kind of stress can get to anyone, of course. Modern Family does a great job teaching us all to-be parents and even young adults who'd be a parent someday, that we often need to stop and focus on the family and live in the moment. You can see this best in one of the Christmas episodes when they all rush to get it done early, only realizing that them being together was the best part of the holiday. Throughout the show's run, almost all of the festivals have the three of the families under one roof and having a gala time.

4. Own your mistakes

It has been taught to us that we must admit our mistakes, take ownership of them, and then move past. In the show, you see both the kids and parents take responsibility for the mistakes they've made. Mistakes ranging from Luke cheating on a test or Phil accidentally setting up Haley with a man twice her age. The kids are able to see their parents as people who aren't perfect, and that lets them to have more empathy towards their mum and dad.

5. Raising a child is not just the duo's job: Takes a village to raise a kid

You can finally agree to this phrase that raising a kid is truly a job done by not just the parents but a group of people. And one of the best things about the show is how beautifully intertwined the lives of these three families are. You see throughout all episodes how parents help each other out when it comes their kids. This dysfunctional extended family with their different parenting styles and approach to life, rely on the help of their close ones to step in and help them through the problems. The love and support of your close ones can absolutely help you raise a kid.

6. All kids are different

Every child has his/her own unique personality and interest that makes his/her special. For Jay Pritchett, it's his second time around the bend with Many. He was a relatively tough dad when he had Claire and Mitch growing up. Although some part of that Jay stays, now he handles Manny's eccentricities well - he treats him like an adult, and even coddles him at just the right moments. Same with the Dunphy family - three entirely different kids with poles apart personalities. Claire and Phil, who although have different parenting styles, are always on the same page in understanding these differences and pushing their kids to achieve the best.

7. Sharing child's interests

Take Phil for instance. He has always been the hands-on parent. Listening to the same music as his kids, watching the same movies and taking an active interest in their school lives, so much so that he was generally better in tune with his children's feelings than their mom Claire. listening to the same music as his kids, watching the same movies and taking an active interest in their school lives, so much so that he was generally better in tune with his children's feelings than their mom Claire.

Modern Family airs on Star World!

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