to think it's rather odd that we are always being told that the nuclear family is ideal but that they make so few appearances on children's TV?

[spicemonster]

Weird isn't it? Balamory is all single people as far as I can see. Granny Murray is about 35 so she was clearly a teenage mum, as is her daughter. Charlie and Lola's parents seem fairly competent but never appear. Only the Pontipines and Wattingers appear to be couples with children and the Pontipines are neglectful in the extreme.

who is granny murrays daughter?

Grandpa in my pocket is fairly nuclear (although you could argue that having a shrinking Grandparent is fairly dysfunctional).

I don't know nancy but I assume she has one or she wouldn't be a granny. She could also have a son I guess

the large family have a mum and dad, but they are elephants.

Lol at shrinking Grandpa being disfunctional.

There are two parent famillies in Me Too - Raymond and Lisa - though how real THAT marraige is is anyone's guess...

Tommy Zoom is a 2.4 job too.

Pingu

Postman Pat.

Both nuclear families.

LOL @ Raymond and Lisa's marriage being a sham.

Good point about Tommy Zoom, I'd forgotten about him.

lisa looks like raymonds mum!

My DD went through a phase of being quite upset because Makka Pakka didn't have a mummy . I had to make up a story that she lives elsewhere and he visits her often (just not on air).

Samuel and Muffin in Third and Bird have two parents.

Not sure where Rudy's are, and everyone else is clearly single.

She does look like his Mum.
I find their relationship very unconvincing.

They are both very fond of musical theatre adn if Lisa's taxi isn't a metaphor for, ahem, fanjo, then I'm a monkey's uncle.

Fireman Sam has both mum/dad and single families.

Botbot - waht about Mrs Billingsly though? Widowed, perhaps?

Dora is also from a nuclear family. But I can just imagine the response to a thread "am I being unreasonable to let my 5 year old play out in a snake-infested jungle all day with only a monkey for company?"

Peppa Pig?

PMSL at this- especially the neglectful Pontipines. Poor little Pontipine children...

What about the Simpsons?

Peppa Pig has grandparents too. But she is a pig.

Does Postman Pat have a wife? I am trying to think of families in the Little Red Tractor but there seems to be all dads and kids and no mums. Are there any women in LRT? Hmm ...

postman pat has a wife, infact most of the families in postman pat are 2 parent families, i think its only the doctor that is a single parent, and maybe the male teacher?
i also think i need to get out more and stop watching so much cbeebies

Granny Murray isn't 35! surely!! God I feel very young looking (which isn't a familiar feeling).

There are a few single parents in Postman Pat: PC Selby, Julia Pottage, Dr Gilbertson, Mr Pringle. (ds' current dvd of choice!)

When I see the phrase 'nuclear family' it always makes me think - 'yes, ready to explode at any time!'

Granny Murray always looks like she's just sniffed something illegal to me - especially when she's so ultra chipper with all those dull kids.

Our kids have moved on from Cbeebies and now love the most perfect of nuclear families - The Simpsons!

The clangers have very stable interpersonal relationships

Troy Bolton lives in a nuclear family.