12 Best Animated Mums from TV

12 Best Animated Mums from TV

12 Best Animated Mums from TV

 

Mums come in all shapes, sizes and even dimensions, with some of our best pop culture mothers coming from animated TV shows. With Mother’s Day coming up in the UK this Sunday it’s time to celebrate the loving mums, protective mums and down right badass mums of animation. 

Wilma Flintstone (The Flintstones)

Wilma Flintstone (The Flintstones)

Let’s start with one of the original animated mothers, a redheaded cavewoman who set the bar for many animated mums that came after her. Wilma is a strong-willed woman, loving mother of Pebbles, and doting wife of Fred. Over her long stint in numerous Flintstones series Wilma has been part of she’s been a community volunteer, waitress, homemaker, caterer and a reporter, whilst also being an incredible mother to her daughter. She keeps her family together and does her best to stop Fred getting into too much trouble. 

Marge Simpson (The Simpsons) 12 Best Animated Mums from TV

Marge Simpson (The Simpsons) 

Almost a direct descendent from Wilma Flintstone, this mum is one of the most well known in American (and worldwide) pop culture. Marge is the loving mother of Bart, Lisa and Maggie and long suffering wife of Homer who, just like Wilma with Fred, she has to constantly reign in from dumb antics. Her kids are difficult in their own ways, Bart’s a hell-raiser and Lisa’s a lonely intellectual and Maggie once shot a man, but she always defends them, loves them and gives them every ounce of her energy.  As the longest running animated mum she’s been through a lot, but her love for her children has never wavered. 

Didi Pickles (Rugrats) 12 Best Animated Mums from TV

Didi Pickles (Rugrats) 

Love them or hate them, the mum with all the knowledge on child development is always helpful to have around. Didi Pickles is exactly that woman, as a former teacher and a current child psychologist with an encyclopedic knowledge of Dr Lipschitz, she’s the woman you want in your parenting team. As a working mother Didi is a little different to some of the earlier depictions of the matriarch in animated shows. Rugrats managed to do a great job of showing different types of families and dealing with issues around this, including Tommy’s premature birth and the difficulty of pregnancy. Her two sons Tommy and Dill are definitely in safe and loving hands with this mum.

Betty DeVille 12 Best Animated Mums from TV

Betty DeVille (Rugrats)

Sticking with the Rugrats, there’s also Betty, the mum to twins Phil and Lil. This strong willed, energetic and friendly mum is another example of the great representations of family in the Rugrats. As an ex pro-wrestler she’s got a strong demeanor and a quick wit to back it up with. Betty is a different depiction of a mother, loving and protective without having to be the regressive image of femininity. We’ve got to admit, Betty is a feminist icon (I mean it’s emblazoned on her chest), and probably one of the first ones young kids were introduced to, and I’m here for that. 

Grandma Gertie (Hey Arnold!)

Grandma Gertie (Hey Arnold!)

Grandma Gertie, or ‘Pookie’ as she’s affectionally called by her husband Phil, is an eccentric and lovable matriarch who looks after Arnold. After Arnold’s parents left for a trip and never returned Grandma Gertie and Grandpa Phil have been his guardians, and they make one hell of a team. Another great example of different family types and one that should be applauded. From her wacky outfits, themed food nights to her helpful, but often incomprehensible, advice she is one hell of a lady. Rebellious, ever enthusiastic and a badass not to be messed with, Grandma Gertie is one of a kind.

Helen Morgendorffer (Daria) 

Helen Morgendorffer (Daria) 

It can be hard to balance a busy working schedule and motherhood, something Helen Morgendorffer knows all too well. As a mother of two very different daughters, Daria the angsty and cynical eldest, and Quinn the preppy and shallow youngest, Helen has a lot to handle. Due to her job as a corporate lawyer she’s not always there when her daughters want her to be, but when she does get time she is compassionate and caring, wanting to bond with her daughters and be a part of their lives. She’s a complicated woman dealing with her love for work and the external pressures of being a ‘perfect mum’ which makes her a realistic look at modern  motherhood.  

Turanga Munda (Futurama) Animated Mums

Turanga Munda (Futurama)

Being a mutant isn’t easy when the world is full of judgement, which is what led this mother to try and give her daughter a better life, by passing her off as an alien. Of course, it helps that she has a PHD in Exolinguistics, a smarty with a heart. What starts as a story of abandonment in Leela’s perspective, turns into a beautiful story of the Turanga’s wanting more for their daughter but secretly never leaving her side. There’s a beautiful montage in the episode ‘Leela’s Homeworld’ showing Turanga Munda and her husband Turunga Morris keeping baby Leela safe, giving her birthday presents and tucking her in at night. It may have been love from a distance, but it was love nonetheless.  

Ms Tonitini (The Weekenders) Animated Mums

Ms Tonitini (The Weekenders)

Who doesn’t love a sarcastic mum? Ms Tonitini, Tino’s mother, has some great one liners in The Weekenders proving mums can be funny as well. She has a strong and loveable relationship with her son. Her cooking may be a little too adventurous for younger tastebuds but it doesn’t stop her from trying out all the new things that take her fancy. Ms Tonitini gives great advice and is always there for her son, even if there’s the odd eye roll involved. 

Wanda (The Fairly OddParents) Animated Mums

Wanda (The Fairly Odd Parents)

Poor Timmy Turner doesn’t have the most attentive parents, nor does he have the nicest babysitter, often being left with the sadistic Vicky who’s one mean girl. So it’s a good job he has two magical godparents to look after him. Wanda, alongside her fairy husband Cosmo, not only grant Timmy all of his wishes, they also provide him with love and care. She may be the more levelheaded of the three but that comes from being the most intellectual of the bunch too. This godparent with wings and a wand keeps the boys in line whilst being a fun and sweet parent and partner. 

Linda Belcher (Bob's Burgers) 12 Best Animated Mums from TV

Linda Belcher (Bob’s Burgers)

For the longest time animated TV mums were stuck being the sensible ones of the relationships, the stick in the muds and the supporting but slightly boring second half of the parenting unit. Linda Belcher is a different beast altogether, devoted and caring to her husband Bob and three children Tina, Gene and Louise she is also a free spirit and loves to have her own shenanigans. She is enthusiastic, funny and ridiculously supportive to every dream and idea her family has. She sings, she dances and she loves a good time. This open minded fun loving mum is a delight and honestly a damn near perfect mother. 

Diane Birch (Big Mouth) Mom

Diane Birch (Big Mouth)

Every parent, at some point, will make their children cringe, it’s inevitable. Diane is very good at this, alongside her husband Elliot, as they proudly display their love at all times. She may be a little smothering at times but is supportive and loving to all of her children, teaching them to embrace themselves and never be embarrassed of who they are. It helps that this supporting mum is voiced by Maya Rudolph who I could listen to all day, everyday. 

Emily Ramirez (Close Enough)

Emily Ramirez (Close Enough)

Last on the list we have another fun modern mum, one who works, loves her daughter and still has time to get up to some hijinks. Her and her husband, Josh, are happily married and wonderful parents to their imaginative five-year-old daughter Candice. Emily may sometimes cave to parent pressure, but she is a strong woman who knows herself and what she enjoys. She’s a mean game of Ladder World and, alongside her best friend Bridgette, is a parody singer-songwriter with a great sense of humour. This mum knows how to enjoy herself whilst always being there for her little one. 

Bombshells&Blueshells

Let me know what you think!