I watch my fair share of cartoons with my children, and because of that, I’ve noticed many characters that resonate with me. Single parents in cartoons are among those characters. Single parenting is one of the most challenging jobs in the world, and it can sometimes go underappreciated.
Adjusting to the daily challenges of child rearing without a partner can be lonely, frustrating, and overstimulating. Still, single parents do everything they can to support their children with the resources they have. Amid the exhaustion shines resilience as these superheroes do what they have to do daily to care for and support their children.
I’m a single mom to my three kids: my eldest daughter, age seven, my only son, age three, and my youngest daughter who just turned two in July. There are some days I question whether I’m raising them right as a single mother. What keeps me going is the strength of getting up daily to show up and show out for my kids.
As of 2022, there were 10.9 million single-parent households in America. About 80% of them have single mothers as the head of the household.
My children’s father is involved a couple of times per week, which helps with taking some of the mental load off of me for a few hours on those days. I’m also lucky to have my mom step in to help me with redirecting the children if they are rowdy, because we all live together.
Single parents in cartoons can teach lessons to single parents in real life about how to handle child rearing, even if you may not have a large village. Here are 17 single parents from cartoons I resonate with. They all have unique lessons to teach all parents, no matter how large or small their village.
Lois Foutley From As Told By Ginger
Lois Foutley is primarily a single parent in the first and second seasons of As Told By Ginger, eventually marrying Dr. Dave in the final episode of the series. She endures challenges like driving an old car with constant problems, primarily showcased in the show’s opening credits. Money gets tight for her, but she gives Ginger and Carl everything they need. She’s a resourceful, strong, and emotionally available single mother, giving Ginger advice during her teenage struggles and pep talks with Carl when he’s in trouble.
What Parents Can Learn From Lois Foutley: You don’t have to own a luxurious home or have access to endless cash. Setting boundaries while being emotionally available enhances structure in child rearing. As a single mother myself, I resonate so much with Lois Foutley. I tell it like it is when the kids are enduring challenges while guiding them with a tender heart of kindness and understanding.
Professor Utonium From The Powerpuff Girls
Professor Utonium mixing sugar, spice, and everything nice with an accidental dash of Chemical X gave him incredible superhero daughters, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. He was a bachelor when he had the girls, primarily raising them as a single father. The Professor has an outstanding balance of knowledge to teach his daughters and emotional intelligence to guide them through challenging life situations. His kindness and patience help him guide Blossom with a school project, calm Bubbles when she cries, or work with Buttercup through a temper tantrum.
What Parents Can Learn From Professor Utonium: Parenting requires presence, not perfection. Even if you are busy with your career, as long as you prioritize quality time with your children outside of work, you will positively impact their growth and development. I can get pretty busy between writing and household cleaning, but I always try to watch a movie or play with my kids a little each day.
Rosie’s Mom From Ada Twist, Scientist
Rosie Revere and her mom, who is a pilot, live with her great aunt. When Rosie’s mother is away at work, Rosie’s great aunt is her primary caretaker. Despite her busy schedule, Rosie’s mom is supportive of her daughter’s love of engineering and inventing. She supports and encourages Rosie’s innovative and bold thought process to achieve her goals.
What Parents Can Learn From Rosie’s Mom: Hardworking single parents can still be there for their kids during their off hours. Instilling trust in a child’s abilities and giving them space to explore new concepts will help them learn and grow. My eldest daughter wants to be an art teacher when she’s an adult. She asked me to paint this weekend and I told her she can. I worried less about the mess and focused more on how the activity would help hone her craft.
Goofy From A Goofy Movie
Goofy is one of the most popular cartoon single dads of the 90s. He parented his son, Max, alone in Goof Troop during his childhood and his teenhood in the ever-popular A Goofy Movie. Goofy was adamant about spending time with Max during their father/son fishing trip turned Powerline concert visit. Max was already in college when Goofy found a girlfriend in An Extremely Goofy Movie.
What Parents Can Learn From Goofy: It’s okay to be overprotective, and a safe place for your kids. Even if your children call you weird or goofy, just be yourself. My daughter calls me weird a lot when I act silly with her and her siblings, and it doesn’t bother me at all.
Marlin From Finding Nemo
We remember the gut-wrenching scene when Marlin became a single father to Nemo. It was one of the saddest starts of a Disney movie, in my opinion, watching this as a child. Marlin’s worrisome nature about his son getting hurt and his knack for overprotecting him are natural for single parents of young children. The spazz clownfish dad eventually learns to give his son space to grow and explore within reasonable boundaries while still maintaining safety.
What Parents Can Learn From Marlin: There’s a mix of fear and love in parenting. Raising a child alone after a traumatic loss instills fear to the point it’s hard to overcome and press forward as life goes on. After I miscarried my first child in 2014, I was so careful when I got pregnant with my eldest daughter in 2017. I made sure to eat a healthy diet, rest as much as I can, remember my prenatals, and drink plenty of water. I’m so thankful that she and my two babies were born healthy and strong while still holding on to my first unborn child in my memory.
Maurice From Beauty And The Beast
The widower and inventor, Maurice, is a single father to Belle. He’s an eccentric and intelligent man, to whom many people believe his innovative, inventive mind makes him crazy. He raises Belle to explore new ideas by reading, which causes the village to think she’s odd because of her desire for education. Despite no one in the village understanding who they are, Maurice embraces Belle’s uniqueness and curiosity. He always encourages her to be true to herself.
What Parents Can Learn From Maurice: Supportive parenting means celebrating a child’s individuality, even if it means they are different from others. Having a child conform to fit in with society will stunt a child’s growth. Empowering your little one to think freely and follow their heart will build them into strong adults. I love to ask my eldest daughter for her opinions on different subjects. It’s crazy how she’s forming her values and thoughts at the young age of 7, and they’ll only keep changing as she gets older.
Sultan Hamed From Aladdin
Sultan Hamed is a widower and ruler of Argrabah. He deeply loves his daughter, Jasmine, and is well-meaning in protecting her. However, he doesn’t listen to her desire for independence in exploring the city beyond the palace walls. He arranges a marriage for Jasmine in the original film, only to learn the hard way that his daughter prefers to marry for love and decides her future independently.
What Parents Can Learn From Sultan Hamed: Placing outdated beliefs and expectations on your children may not align with their values. They are individuals with their viewpoints and it’s up to parents to trust their judgment as they get older.
Charles “Chas” Finster From Rugrats
Chuckle’s mother died of an unexplained illness, making Charles a single dad to Chuckie for most of the main Rugrats series. While he’s sometimes overprotective of Chuckie, Chas is a loving and devoted father who puts his son’s well-being as his utmost priority. He likes creating a safe environment for Chuckie while being kind and vulnerable in his single-parent journey. Chas eventually marries Kira in Rugrats in Paris and becomes a blended family as a stepfather to Kimmy.
What Parents Can Learn From Charles “Chas” Finster: It’s ok for parents to be sensitive and cautious. They may even be unsure about certain child-rearing decisions until they give them more thought. If single parents find true love and they are both caring towards their stepchildren, strong blended families can blossom.
Abe Simpson From The Simpsons
Abe raised Homer as a single father after Homer’s mother was declared a fugitive for destroying Mr. Burns’ germ lab alongside other suspects. He protected Homer as a child from knowing his mother was a fugitive by telling him instead that his mother had passed on. Abe’s tough love approach to parenting seems gruff and mixed with impatience. Underneath this facade is a true love and tenderness for his only son.
What Parents Can Learn From Character: Some parents are shaped by different hardships within their generation. Hence, they may not express love in the most conventional ways, like verbal affirmations and physical affection. Despite this, the most loving of parents will still protect and provide to the fullest extent possible.
Bitzi Baxter From Arthur
Different episodes throughout the Arthur universe reveal that Buster Bunny’s parents are divorced. In the episode “1001 Dads”, Buster informs Arthur that he has to stay with his father for a few months. Otherwise, Buster Bunny’s mother, Bitzi, is the primary parent. Her busy job as a journalist is balanced with guiding her son to be himself with an empathetic and structured parenting style. Integrating humor and honesty into her communication with Buster formulates his fun-loving personality as he interacts with friends.
What Parents Can Learn From Bitzi Baxter: Being judgment-free of children’s desires and ideas helps create a safe environment to help them grow and learn. Being truthful and approachable with children will build their self-esteem and confidence. Whenever my kids fall, I tell them they are strong enough to get up and brush themselves off. Of course, I’m also gentle and caring by hugging them afterwards and treating any minor injuries, if applicable.
Chief Powhatan From Pocahontas
The wise and strong Chief Powhatan has the dual responsibility of leading the Powhatan tribe and raising his daughter, Pocahontas, as a single father. He deeply loves and cherishes his playful and curious daughter, trying to keep her safe and doing what’s best for her. His protective instincts sometimes override him, realizing he should let Pocahontas have more freedom for self-discovery. Chief Powhatan’s announcement of Kocoum’s desire to marry Pocahontas goes against her desire to choose her path. In the end, the chief realizes he must let his daughter decide her destiny.
What Parents Can Learn From Chief Powhantan: Listening to a child’s needs and desires is just as important as guiding them. Even when a child’s values challenge tradition, letting go to allow them to make their own decisions is the most courageous step any parent can take. I try to firmly and gently parent like Chief Powhatan while also allowing my children to engage in self-exploration.
Pocahontas might be problematic by today’s standards, but her dad has some valuable lessons to share!
Lydia Pearson From Pepper Ann
Pepper Ann’s mother, Lydia, works at a local fashion boutique called “It’s You”. She’s an encouraging and dependable mother as she raises Pepper Ann and her brother, Moose, alone. Lydia supports Pepper Ann’s creativity and individuality while setting clear expectations. She guides her children during challenging moments with patience and humor to enhance their self-reliance.
What Parents Can Learn From Lydia Pearson: Life’s daily challenges can act as teachable moments to children. Presence, consistency, and emotional availability during childhood and adolescence provide a strong foundation through growth and development. I use many conflicts as teaching moments for the kids. For example, I teach them conflict resolution when they have to take turns with the television and toys.
Momma Bravo From Johnny Bravo
Despite Johnny being an adult, Momma Bravo is his voice of reason, providing him reality checks with her sweet and sassy, sharp tongue. Her independent and clever personality has helped her be strong as a single mom through Johnny’s childhood, as there is no mention of his father in the series. Managing household tasks while getting her grown son out of trouble with her trademark toughness is an admirable trait.
What Parents Can Learn From Momma Bravo: Single parenting doesn’t mean you have to lose yourself or your sense of humor to make it work. Balancing understanding and tough love with your child helps to be a source of structure and comfort.
It may not be the best show for kids to watch these days, but his mom at least showcases some admirable traits.
Dracula From The Hotel Transylvania Movie Franchise
Dracula becomes a single father when humans murder Mavis’s mother, Martha. He’s extra protective of his Mavy Wavy from her childhood and even into her adulthood when she meets Johnny in the original film. He only wants the best for his daughter, even if it means protecting her from the outside world.
What Parents Can Learn From Dracula: It’s natural to protect your child from danger, but overprotectiveness can prevent them from developing and trying new experiences. Letting go and allowing youth to make their own decisions is one of the highest forms of love as a parent.
My eldest daughter attended daycare for the first time during the two months before the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020. It took me 2.5 years to finally send her back to school because of my fear of her getting sick. I had to tell myself that sickness will happen, and I can’t let that stop me from allowing the kids to explore and grow in social programs.
King Triton From The Little Mermaid
King Triton becomes a widower to his seven daughters when a boating accident takes Queen Athena’s life. Ariel is the youngest and most rebellious of her siblings. He rules Atlantica with strength and bravery while trying to keep his daughters and subjects safe from the human world. However, his struggle to understand independence and adventure causes him to hold on to Ariel too tightly to the point that she runs off to see the human world anyway.
What Parents Can Learn From King Triton: Even the most loving parents can struggle with letting go. Being a parent doesn’t mean protecting your child from every danger. It’s most about preparing them to face the world with confidence and trust that your child will make the best decisions for themselves.
Jennifer Davis From Toy Story
Jennifer Davis is a single mom to Andy and his little sister, Molly in the Toy Story movie franchise. She is supportive of Andy’s imagination and love of toys in the first two movies. Jennifer gets emotional as she sees Andy’s empty childhood room before he heads off to college. She embraces her children’s innocence and playfulness as they grow into young children, and she stays strong as they transition to their teens (Molly) and adulthood (Andy).
What Parents Can Learn From Andy’s Mom: Supporting a child’s creativity and imagination is paramount throughout their childhood. Guiding little ones with love and resilience through each stage of their development without rushing growing up builds a stable and nurturing environment. I teach my three kids to do things on their own within age-appropriate contexts.
Mr. Krabs From SpongeBob
Mr. Krabs is a single father who loves spoiling his whale daughter, Pearl, by giving her only the best. Even though he primarily values making money and staying frugal, he supports his daughter’s desires more, even if it means spending beyond his budget. He supported Pearl taking over the Krusty Krab which then became the Kuddly Krab (insert episode) even if it was so much money flushed down the proverbial toilet.
What Parents Can Learn From Mr. Krabs: Even the most stubborn of parents can grow and adapt for the sake of their children. Investing time and attention in a child’s interests matters more than the material things. I am practical with mainly purchasing items for my eldest daughter’s art projects so she can perfect her craft. I don’t worry as much about buying so many toys or lavish electronics that will end up in a cluttered heap if they aren’t used too often.
Single parenting is a journey of strength, resilience, sacrifice, and unshakeable love. Getting up every day and showing up for your kids can be challenging some days and easy during others. As a single mom myself, I see a piece of myself in all of these single-parent cartoon characters who stay strong through the calm and challenging times of their parenthood journeys.
