This Is Us: 5 Moments Rebecca Pearson Is A Great Mom (& 5 Where She’s A 6/10)

Rebecca Pearson has been everyone’s go-to favorite television mom since the premiere of This Is Us in 2016. Rebecca’s parenting has been put to the test numerous times through the last four seasons, and like any great parent, sometimes Rebecca rises to the occasion, and sometimes she falls short.

Despite what some viewers may want to believe, Bec isn’t a superhero, she’s human. No matter what though, through all of the ups and downs, we can rest assured that Rebecca Pearson is always doing her best.

10 Great: Adopting Randall

Losing a child during childbirth is a tragedy no new mother should ever have to experience. Rebecca carries three babies to term, but after a very difficult labor, Rebecca wakes up to learn that one of her babies doesn’t make it.

It’s devastating news that could send anyone into a justified downward spiral, but Rebecca picks herself up and listens to her heart when she sees Randall at the hospital and knows that he’s meant to be her son.

9 6/10: She Lies To Randall

In the pilot episode, Randall shows up on his biological father, William’s doorstep, with a couple of things to tell him. After Randall says what he needs to say, his father invites him in, and he accepts; thus a new relationship between father and son begins. It doesn’t take much time for things to go awry, though.

Randall eventually finds out that Rebecca knew about William for most of his life and never told Randall about him. This discovery almost ruins Randall’s relationship with his mother.

8 Great: Raising Three Teens After Her Husband Dies

Losing Jack is by far the worst thing that happens to Rebecca. Rebecca is unexpectedly widowed at an early age, leaving her to care for three teenagers, completely alone. It’s challenging, but Rebecca really steps up to the plate.

She carries not only her grief but her children’s as well and helps them to heal while simultaneously trying to heal herself. She also rejoins the workforce after not working for years because Jack supported the family. Rebecca realizes she’ll now need to be the breadwinner for her family, so once again, she steps up.

7 6/10: Marrying Miguel

This might actually be even lower than a six out of ten moment for Rebecca. Audiences still aren’t exactly sure how this all happens because we have yet to see Rebecca and Miguel reconnect after Jack’s death. At this point, all we know is that somehow.

Rebecca ends up marrying her dead husband’s best friend, which is a fact fans really struggle with after every episode that shows Rebecca and Miguel together. Even the Big Three seem to take issue with it, leaving us all to wonder, what is Rebecca thinking?

6 Great: Rescuing Kate From Mark

Rebecca’s motherly instincts serve her well once Kate starts dating a terrible guy named Mark. Kate is a teenager, it’s been a few years since her dad passed away, and she’s now living at home and working at a record store, where she meets a co-worker, turned love interest, Mark, who quickly becomes emotionally abusive to Kate. 

Rebecca doesn’t have a good feeling about Mark from the start, and when Kate calls Rebecca from a payphone after she has a fight with Mark, Rebecca rushes to Kate’s rescue.

5 6/10: Not Stopping Mark Sooner

As mentioned previously, Rebecca doesn’t like Kate’s boyfriend Mark from the start. Now, yes, Kate is technically an adult by the time she meets Mark, but she’s also still living at home, which any parent could argue, means she has to follow the rules and boundaries her mother sets.

Rebecca doesn’t act on her bad instincts about Mark as soon as she should, and that puts Kate in a potentially dangerous situation. Of course, Rebecca wants to respect Kate’s choices, but it seems she loosened the reigns too much and too soon in this situation.

4 Great: She Acts On Her Motherly Instincts

Having three kids at the same time must be incredibly difficult and exhausting, especially when all three of your children are so different, as is the case for Rebecca. Between Randall’s anxiety, Kate’s struggles with body image, and Kevin’s rebellious side, Rebecca has her hands full.

One of Rebecca’s best qualities is her ability to act on her concerns. She knows how to recognize something that isn’t right and is always able to come up with a plan of action to address whatever is going on in her children’s lives.

3 6/10: She Pushes Kate

Kate and Rebecca’s relationship has always been challenging. From an early age, Kate seems to be envious of her mother, which eventually leads to resentment and lashing out. Rebecca doesn’t help matters by constantly trying to overcompensate, and she forces herself and her opinions on Kate frequently.

This of course, only pushes Kate away more, making it even more difficult for Rebecca to manage their relationship. There’s a balance when it comes to giving your kids space, and Rebecca struggles to find that with Kate.

2 Great: She’s Always Shows Up

No matter how old they are or how far away they live, Rebecca will drop everything for her children. When Randall loses his biological father, when Kevin goes into rehab, and when Kate has her own, complicated childbirth, Rebecca always shows up for her children. 

There is nothing her kids could ever say or do that would change how Rebecca loves them and cares for them. That is unconditional love and Rebecca does her best to make sure her kids know they have that from her.

1 6/10: The Outburst With Jack

When the Big Three become teenagers, Rebecca starts feeling a little restless. With her kids growing more independent and her husband constantly working, Rebecca is by herself a lot. Rebecca decides to embrace her new-found free time, and tries to restart her singing career, which she pursued heavily before meeting Jack and settling down to have a family.

This new attempt tests Rebecca as a mother and a wife, a lot, and after one of those tests leads to a big argument between Rebecca and Jack, she screams, “I have no life!”, which can’t feel good for her husband or children to hear.

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