Gilmore Girls: Ranking The Characters Based On Parenting Skills

Lorelai and Rory’s mother/daughter relationship may be a major focus of Gilmore Girls, but there are many other parents on the series who show fans how well or how poorly they’re raising their kids. There are many characters with different parenting styles, from casual and chill Lorelai to her mother Emily, whose approach is often the exact opposite.

When other characters start families, from Lorelai’s best friend Sookie to Rory’s close friend Lane, it’s interesting to compare their parenting styles and abilities. While there are some great parents on Gilmore Girls, others fall flat.

12 Trix Gilmore

Trix can be evil on Gilmore Girls, and Richard’s mother is definitely the worst parent on the popular series.

Whether complaining about the way that Emily and Richard are living their lives or never accepting Emily as Richard’s soulmate and the person who he has chosen to spend his life with, Trix fails on every count. Her presence in the Gilmore house is always stressful and even Lorelai is shocked to see how Trix upsets and overwhelms Emily.

11 Sherry Tinsdale

While Christopher and Sherry seem excited to be expecting a baby, fans wonder how this dramatic situation is going to turn out, and the results are a total disaster. Sherry leaves Gigi with Christopher and runs off to Paris, ignoring her parenting responsibilities.

As someone who doesn’t want to raise or take care of her child, Sherry is another terrible parent on Gilmore Girls. Lorelai steps in to help, stunned that Sherry would make this decision and leave Christopher hurt and confused.

10 Christopher Hayden

When Christopher is with Rory, whether visiting her in Stars Hollow or Yale, he tries his best to be compassionate, caring, and present. Unfortunately, Christopher is rarely around and fans are never sure how devoted he is to his daughter.

Although viewers know that Christopher loves Rory and wants her to be happy, he hands off all of the parenting responsibility to Lorelai throughout Rory’s life. When Rory confronts her dad in the revival A Year In The Life, he says that he figured he should be absent so Lorelai could take over, which might be honest but still hurts Rory’s feelings.

9 Paris Geller

Even though Paris and Doyle have two children named Timóteo and Gabriella in the revival, there is only one brief scene when fans can see what kind of parent Paris is. Rory visits their house briefly and it’s as chaotic and intense as viewers would expect.

While Paris definitely loves her kids and wants the best for them, she seems more focused on her company than on being a very present and hands-on parent. She’s not the worst parent on the series, as she loves them and seems to be trying her best, but she’s not the greatest one, either.

8 Anna Nardini

Many fans think that Anna is a horrible parent as she doesn’t want Lorelai around April and also tries to move with April so Luke can barely see April. But there are some unpopular opinions about Anna on Gilmore Girls and some fans believe that she’s a caring mother.

Anna has her flaws and her faults, and it’s possible to understand why she acts the way that she does. Anna has been on her own for so long trying to make sure that April is happy. Still, fans wish that she would ease up and treat Lorelai and Luke with more kindness and respect as that is what is best for April.

7 Richard Gilmore

Richard is an interesting case. While he adores Lorelai and Rory and is so proud of their accomplishments and successes, he has a hard time showing emotion or explaining what he thinks about them.

If Richard could express himself more, he would seem like a better parent. Richard and Emily decide that they won’t support Lorelai if she and Christopher don’t get married after finding out that they’re having a baby, and fans can’t understand why Emily and Richard are so stubborn.

6 Emily Gilmore

Although Gilmore Girls fans know that Emily loves Lorelai and regrets how their relationship has always been, Emily still makes parenting mistakes, and that makes it tough to think that she’s always a good parent.

Emily takes a step in the right direction by wanting Rory and Lorelai to come over for dinner every Friday, but whether she’s being overbearing or complaining about Lorelai’s life choices, it’s hard to understand why she is so controlling.

5 Sookie St. James

Sookie makes some bad decisions on Gilmore Girls, but she’s a great mother whose only flaw might be worrying too much while pregnant and while raising her kids.

All in all, Sookie has all of the qualities of a great parent: kindness, compassion, and the ability to solve problems and act in a crisis or chaotic time. Sookie learns a lot and she becomes a natural parent once she gets into the groove.

4 Mrs. Kim

Mrs. Kim might be strict and she might have rules for Lane, but Mrs. Kim is a caring parent who wants the best for her daughter and who is there for her when it counts.

While Lane and Mrs. Kim fight when Lane’s rebellion is discovered, Mrs. Kim helps Lane when she becomes a mother herself, and it’s moving to watch the two characters learn to get along better.

3 Lane Kim

Lane is nervous about becoming a parent and she struggles with all of the changes that are happening in her life so quickly. But Lane is a caring and wonderful mom of her twins, and while fans want more for Lane in the revival, she does have a great family life.

Lane is doing a great job raising Kwan and Steve, and even though viewers want Lane to have a musical career like she always dreamed and planned, Lane is one of the strongest and most capable parents on the series.

2 Luke Danes

April and Luke’s Gilmore Girls scenes are sweet and fans know that as soon as Luke learns that he has a child, he is as much of a hands on parent as he can be.

Whether Luke is showing support for April’s love of science or helping his nephew Jess and being a parental figure for him, Luke is one of the best parents on the show. Luke is calm and supportive most of the time, but when something bad happens, he isn’t afraid to have a tough conversation.

1 Lorelai Gilmore

Lorelai would be the first to admit that she makes mistakes, but when it comes to her parenting skills, Lorelai shines the most in Gilmore Girls.

From standing up for herself when Emily is critical to helping Rory get into Chilton and Ivy League colleges, not to mention trying to stop Rory from dropping out of college, Lorelai is strong, passionate, and caring. While Lorelai might be known as a casual and chill mom, she gives tough love when she needs to.

About The Author

Aya Tsintziras
(1742 Articles Published)

Aya Tsintziras is a freelance writer who writes about pop culture and TV. She has a Political Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Journalism from Ryerson University. She loves coffee, reading, working out, and watching TV. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

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