These CBS TV Parenting Moments Remind Us We're All Just Doing Our Best
Now is a great time to binge these relatable episodes of The Unicorn, S.W.A.T., Mom, and more on CBS All Access.
Posted on Apr 3, 2020 | 10:00am
Let's all agree that there is no such thing as a perfect parent.
It's easy to feel alone in the frustrations of raising kids, which is why seeing others try their personal best—even if they fail initially—gives us a needed feeling of solidarity.
From The Unicorn to Mom and even the thrilling drama FBI: Most Wanted, the moms and dads on CBS face their own parenting challenges. They provide some much-needed laughter, tears, and perspective. And they remind us that we're not alone when that sneaking sense of doubt creeps into the mind of anyone stepping up to parental responsibilities.
So here's your binge guide to some touching CBS episodes that remind us that even though parenting ain't easy, we're all in this together. Each is available to stream right now on CBS All Access.
SUBSCRIBE: Sign Up For CBS All Access Today
On The Unicorn, Wade plays both mother and father.
Wade (Walton Goggins) is thrilled when his eldest daughter, Grace (Ruby Jay), lands a lead part in the school musical. After hearing her sing, however, he realizes his daughter may be getting special treatment due to her mother's passing. Wade thinks giving Grace the opportunity to quit the musical will alleviate her stress, but the plan backfires when she gladly gives up on the project.
Wade backtracks, pushing Grace to do something uncomfortable in the same way he's had to take on the discomfort and confusion of single parenthood. The pay-off is beyond heartwarming.
WATCH: The Unicorn Episode "No Small Parts" (Season 1, Episode 5)
Calvin owns up to some bad practices with Marty on The Neighborhood.
When Dave (Max Greenfield) guides his son through a bully situation at school, Calvin (Cedric The Entertainer) is surprised to learn that his son Marty (Marcel Spears) had his own lifelong bully: him!
In an attempt to make amends Calvin asks to play Dungeons & Dragons with Marty and finds that he might just have more in common with his son than he realized.
WATCH: The Neighborhood Episode "Welcome To The Bully" (Season 2, Episode 2)
In S.W.A.T., the son cares for the father when it is most needed.
In Season 3, Hondo (Shemar Moore) reconnects with the father (Obba Babatundé) he's long resented when the elderly man falls ill. He takes up the duties of caring for his father through his treatments and convinces his siblings to reconnect, as well.
When the gravity of his situation starts to hit "Pop," Hondo steps up to assure his father that no matter what the past looked like, he won't be alone to face what's coming. He also challenges his father to make the amends he can, while he can.
WATCH: S.W.A.T. Episode "Lion's Den" (Season 3, Episode 8)
On Mom, babysitting gets complicated.
Competing for "Who Was The Worst Mother" is an ongoing game among the ladies of Mom, but years into their sober lives, each of them is eager to make up for their early mistakes. When Marjorie (Mimi Kennedy) finally reconnects with her son, she can't wait to prove herself to him by babysitting her granddaughter.
An emergency requires Marjory to call on her friends for help and they do so in typical fashion. Christy (Anna Faris) uses the baby to get sympathy from a difficult professor. Bonnie (Allison Janney) takes the baby on a drive and accidentally locks the child in the car. Jill (Jaime Pressly) has a meltdown when the child triggers her baby fever. And Tammy (Kristen Johnston) is inspired by the idea of raising a "fierce" young woman that she finally confronts Adam (William Fichtner) about a work conflict.
It takes a village.
WATCH: Mom Episode "A Judgy Face And Your Grandma's Drawers" (Season 7, Episode 18)
The Cooper parents figure it out on Young Sheldon
Raising three very different children often requires quick thinking on the part of Mary (Zoe Perry) and George Sr. (Lance Barber), but the Cooper parents learn lessons as often as they give them.
As Georgie's (Montana Jordan) love life heats up, Mary wishes her son would open up more. When she accidentally listens in on Georgie's phone conversation to make plans with his new girlfriend, Mary swiftly puts a stop to any nefariousness. Mary eventually realizes her fears around her son have more to do with her own experiences and finds a way to communicate with him, though it requires some vulnerability.
Meanwhile, George Sr. helps Sheldon (Iain Armitage) overcome a newfound fear in order to achieve a lifelong dream to see Stephen Hawking speak. All it requires is channeling a hero Sheldon can relate to: Mr. Spock from Star Trek.
WATCH: Young Sheldon Episode "Pasadena" (Season 3, Episode 16)
Screen time gets out of hand on The Neighborhood.
Dave (Max Greenfield) and Gemma (Beth Behrs) are fortunate to have neighborly help when it comes to raising their young son, Grover (Hank Greenspan), but modern parenting brings new and interesting challenges.
When Gemma leaves for a weekend work conference, Dave wants to prove to Gemma he can help curb their son's growing addiction to screen time. However, neither of them lasts the weekend before Dave breaks down and agrees they can both return to their digital devices... as long as they don't tell Mom.
Gemma thinks Dave might be the better parent, believing he kept Grover busy an entire weekend. That is until Dave inevitably gets caught in his own lie and they both admit, that although parenting is hard, they work better together.
WATCH: The Neighborhood Episode "Welcome To The Digital Divide" (Season 2, Episode 10)
Jess LaCroix on FBI: Most Wanted keeps his wife's spirit alive for their daughter.
Because of the intensity of the work he does for the FBI, Jess LaCroix (Julian McMahon) values the time he gets at home with his pre-teen daughter Tali (YaYa Gosselin). But even a top-notch agent can be surprised by his own daughter's insight.
When Tali needs to bring something of her culture to school for a show-and-tell, she surprises her father by choosing her parents' wedding baskets, part of a native wedding ceremony ritual. Tali asks for more information and Jess shares about the custom and the unique way he and her mother connected, a poignant moment between father and daughter.
WATCH: FBI: Most Wanted Episode "Ghosts" (Season 1, Episode 7)
On Man With A Plan, there may not actually be a right way to parent.
Adam (Matt LeBlanc) and Andi (Liza Snyder) catch Katie (Grace Kaufman) sneaking out of the house and disagree about how best to handle the situation. Andi decides to let Adam try his stricter form of parenting, fearing she may have coddled Kate.
Adam's first tactic is taking Katie's door off her bedroom. When that doesn't prove severe enough, he takes her cell phone. Eventually, he decides under-parenting instead of over-parenting may be what truly teaches Katie some lessons, giving her unlimited freedom.
Both parents almost immediately regret this when Katie chooses to go to a concert on a school night. All turns out alright, but not because of the couple's parenting skills. They decide sometimes chaos is the best way to parent.
WATCH: Man With A Plan Episode "The New Old School" (Season 3, Episode 5)
Jason learns how to connect with his kids after a tragedy in SEAL Team.
The tragic loss of his wife leaves Jason (David Boreanaz) reeling and having to find a new way to connect with his children. Feeling helpless in both his personal life and his professional life as his team takes on a difficult hostage situation, Jason attempts to "push through" and avoid the grieving process.
Eventually, Jason stops treating his family and their situation as a mission and realizes he's not the family's team leader. He's a father whose kids need to see him feeling as vulnerable as they feel. Finally, the three of them are able to communicate in the midst of their loss.
WATCH: SEAL Team Episode "All That Matters" (Season 2, Episode 4)
Bob gives Abishola some unwanted parenting advice in Bob Hearts Abishola.
Modern dating is plenty difficult. Throw in children and it gets even more complicated. When Bob (Billy Gardell) notices Abishola's (Folake Olowofoyeku) son, Dele (Travis Wolfe, Jr.), appears burnt out from his studies, he warns Abishola that her son is starting to seem unhappy.
Abishola doesn't appreciate the unsolicited parenting criticism, while Bob's family and co-workers reiterate the seriousness of his faux pas. When Dele comes to Bob for advice on how to tell his mother he doesn't want to pursue a career in medicine, Bob has no choice but to try to help mediate between mother and son.
WATCH: Bob Hearts Abishola Episode "The Canadians Of Africa" (Season 1, Episode 13)
Reconnecting is a bumpy road for mother and daughter on Tommy.
Taking on the role of chief of police for Los Angeles is a daunting role, but where Abigail "Tommy" Thomas (Edie Falco) most finds herself navigating difficult terrain is in reconnecting with her estranged daughter, Kate (Olivia Lucy Phillip).
Kate asks Tommy to move in with her as she grapples with her deteriorating marriage but then expresses her frustration that her mother's role as a cop means accepting certain truths around who she is. Reflecting that she found her own cop father to be an enigma, Tommy chooses transparency and facing her daughter's fears and frustrations head-on, resulting in a needed moment of shared vulnerability.
WATCH: Tommy Episode "There Are No Strangers Here" (Season 1, Episode 2)
In Blue Bloods, parenting is often a multi-generational affair.
The lines between family and professional colleagues can blur in the Reagan family. But no matter the drama in their professional lives, the role of parent and child takes priority.
Jamie (Will Estes) can't get over his guilt about the death of an undercover cop and his responsibility as a supervisor. His father, grandfather, and brother sit him down to reiterate the nature of the job they've chosen and use their unique vantage as Jamie's family to help him. Frank (Tom Selleck) reminds his son that his one concern when Jamie chose his career was his tendency toward perfectionism, an unattainable ideal in their line of work, and not to let it get in the way of accepting the messy nature of law enforcement.
In the end, family once again proves to be the best support system.
WATCH: Blue Bloods Episode "Fog Of War" (Season 10, Episode 14)
Check out the CBS TV schedule for showtimes for new episodes of these and all your other favorite CBS shows.
Stream new and previous episodes on-demand on CBS All Access.
It's easy to feel alone in the frustrations of raising kids, which is why seeing others try their personal best—even if they fail initially—gives us a needed feeling of solidarity.
From The Unicorn to Mom and even the thrilling drama FBI: Most Wanted, the moms and dads on CBS face their own parenting challenges. They provide some much-needed laughter, tears, and perspective. And they remind us that we're not alone when that sneaking sense of doubt creeps into the mind of anyone stepping up to parental responsibilities.
So here's your binge guide to some touching CBS episodes that remind us that even though parenting ain't easy, we're all in this together. Each is available to stream right now on CBS All Access.
SUBSCRIBE: Sign Up For CBS All Access Today
On The Unicorn, Wade plays both mother and father.
Wade (Walton Goggins) is thrilled when his eldest daughter, Grace (Ruby Jay), lands a lead part in the school musical. After hearing her sing, however, he realizes his daughter may be getting special treatment due to her mother's passing. Wade thinks giving Grace the opportunity to quit the musical will alleviate her stress, but the plan backfires when she gladly gives up on the project.
Wade backtracks, pushing Grace to do something uncomfortable in the same way he's had to take on the discomfort and confusion of single parenthood. The pay-off is beyond heartwarming.
WATCH: The Unicorn Episode "No Small Parts" (Season 1, Episode 5)
Calvin owns up to some bad practices with Marty on The Neighborhood.
When Dave (Max Greenfield) guides his son through a bully situation at school, Calvin (Cedric The Entertainer) is surprised to learn that his son Marty (Marcel Spears) had his own lifelong bully: him!
In an attempt to make amends Calvin asks to play Dungeons & Dragons with Marty and finds that he might just have more in common with his son than he realized.
WATCH: The Neighborhood Episode "Welcome To The Bully" (Season 2, Episode 2)
In S.W.A.T., the son cares for the father when it is most needed.
In Season 3, Hondo (Shemar Moore) reconnects with the father (Obba Babatundé) he's long resented when the elderly man falls ill. He takes up the duties of caring for his father through his treatments and convinces his siblings to reconnect, as well.
When the gravity of his situation starts to hit "Pop," Hondo steps up to assure his father that no matter what the past looked like, he won't be alone to face what's coming. He also challenges his father to make the amends he can, while he can.
WATCH: S.W.A.T. Episode "Lion's Den" (Season 3, Episode 8)
On Mom, babysitting gets complicated.
Competing for "Who Was The Worst Mother" is an ongoing game among the ladies of Mom, but years into their sober lives, each of them is eager to make up for their early mistakes. When Marjorie (Mimi Kennedy) finally reconnects with her son, she can't wait to prove herself to him by babysitting her granddaughter.
An emergency requires Marjory to call on her friends for help and they do so in typical fashion. Christy (Anna Faris) uses the baby to get sympathy from a difficult professor. Bonnie (Allison Janney) takes the baby on a drive and accidentally locks the child in the car. Jill (Jaime Pressly) has a meltdown when the child triggers her baby fever. And Tammy (Kristen Johnston) is inspired by the idea of raising a "fierce" young woman that she finally confronts Adam (William Fichtner) about a work conflict.
It takes a village.
WATCH: Mom Episode "A Judgy Face And Your Grandma's Drawers" (Season 7, Episode 18)
The Cooper parents figure it out on Young Sheldon
Raising three very different children often requires quick thinking on the part of Mary (Zoe Perry) and George Sr. (Lance Barber), but the Cooper parents learn lessons as often as they give them.
As Georgie's (Montana Jordan) love life heats up, Mary wishes her son would open up more. When she accidentally listens in on Georgie's phone conversation to make plans with his new girlfriend, Mary swiftly puts a stop to any nefariousness. Mary eventually realizes her fears around her son have more to do with her own experiences and finds a way to communicate with him, though it requires some vulnerability.
Meanwhile, George Sr. helps Sheldon (Iain Armitage) overcome a newfound fear in order to achieve a lifelong dream to see Stephen Hawking speak. All it requires is channeling a hero Sheldon can relate to: Mr. Spock from Star Trek.
WATCH: Young Sheldon Episode "Pasadena" (Season 3, Episode 16)
Screen time gets out of hand on The Neighborhood.
Dave (Max Greenfield) and Gemma (Beth Behrs) are fortunate to have neighborly help when it comes to raising their young son, Grover (Hank Greenspan), but modern parenting brings new and interesting challenges.
When Gemma leaves for a weekend work conference, Dave wants to prove to Gemma he can help curb their son's growing addiction to screen time. However, neither of them lasts the weekend before Dave breaks down and agrees they can both return to their digital devices... as long as they don't tell Mom.
Gemma thinks Dave might be the better parent, believing he kept Grover busy an entire weekend. That is until Dave inevitably gets caught in his own lie and they both admit, that although parenting is hard, they work better together.
WATCH: The Neighborhood Episode "Welcome To The Digital Divide" (Season 2, Episode 10)
Jess LaCroix on FBI: Most Wanted keeps his wife's spirit alive for their daughter.
Because of the intensity of the work he does for the FBI, Jess LaCroix (Julian McMahon) values the time he gets at home with his pre-teen daughter Tali (YaYa Gosselin). But even a top-notch agent can be surprised by his own daughter's insight.
When Tali needs to bring something of her culture to school for a show-and-tell, she surprises her father by choosing her parents' wedding baskets, part of a native wedding ceremony ritual. Tali asks for more information and Jess shares about the custom and the unique way he and her mother connected, a poignant moment between father and daughter.
WATCH: FBI: Most Wanted Episode "Ghosts" (Season 1, Episode 7)
On Man With A Plan, there may not actually be a right way to parent.
Adam (Matt LeBlanc) and Andi (Liza Snyder) catch Katie (Grace Kaufman) sneaking out of the house and disagree about how best to handle the situation. Andi decides to let Adam try his stricter form of parenting, fearing she may have coddled Kate.
Adam's first tactic is taking Katie's door off her bedroom. When that doesn't prove severe enough, he takes her cell phone. Eventually, he decides under-parenting instead of over-parenting may be what truly teaches Katie some lessons, giving her unlimited freedom.
Both parents almost immediately regret this when Katie chooses to go to a concert on a school night. All turns out alright, but not because of the couple's parenting skills. They decide sometimes chaos is the best way to parent.
WATCH: Man With A Plan Episode "The New Old School" (Season 3, Episode 5)
Jason learns how to connect with his kids after a tragedy in SEAL Team.
The tragic loss of his wife leaves Jason (David Boreanaz) reeling and having to find a new way to connect with his children. Feeling helpless in both his personal life and his professional life as his team takes on a difficult hostage situation, Jason attempts to "push through" and avoid the grieving process.
Eventually, Jason stops treating his family and their situation as a mission and realizes he's not the family's team leader. He's a father whose kids need to see him feeling as vulnerable as they feel. Finally, the three of them are able to communicate in the midst of their loss.
WATCH: SEAL Team Episode "All That Matters" (Season 2, Episode 4)
Bob gives Abishola some unwanted parenting advice in Bob Hearts Abishola.
Modern dating is plenty difficult. Throw in children and it gets even more complicated. When Bob (Billy Gardell) notices Abishola's (Folake Olowofoyeku) son, Dele (Travis Wolfe, Jr.), appears burnt out from his studies, he warns Abishola that her son is starting to seem unhappy.
Abishola doesn't appreciate the unsolicited parenting criticism, while Bob's family and co-workers reiterate the seriousness of his faux pas. When Dele comes to Bob for advice on how to tell his mother he doesn't want to pursue a career in medicine, Bob has no choice but to try to help mediate between mother and son.
WATCH: Bob Hearts Abishola Episode "The Canadians Of Africa" (Season 1, Episode 13)
Reconnecting is a bumpy road for mother and daughter on Tommy.
Taking on the role of chief of police for Los Angeles is a daunting role, but where Abigail "Tommy" Thomas (Edie Falco) most finds herself navigating difficult terrain is in reconnecting with her estranged daughter, Kate (Olivia Lucy Phillip).
Kate asks Tommy to move in with her as she grapples with her deteriorating marriage but then expresses her frustration that her mother's role as a cop means accepting certain truths around who she is. Reflecting that she found her own cop father to be an enigma, Tommy chooses transparency and facing her daughter's fears and frustrations head-on, resulting in a needed moment of shared vulnerability.
WATCH: Tommy Episode "There Are No Strangers Here" (Season 1, Episode 2)
In Blue Bloods, parenting is often a multi-generational affair.
The lines between family and professional colleagues can blur in the Reagan family. But no matter the drama in their professional lives, the role of parent and child takes priority.
Jamie (Will Estes) can't get over his guilt about the death of an undercover cop and his responsibility as a supervisor. His father, grandfather, and brother sit him down to reiterate the nature of the job they've chosen and use their unique vantage as Jamie's family to help him. Frank (Tom Selleck) reminds his son that his one concern when Jamie chose his career was his tendency toward perfectionism, an unattainable ideal in their line of work, and not to let it get in the way of accepting the messy nature of law enforcement.
In the end, family once again proves to be the best support system.
WATCH: Blue Bloods Episode "Fog Of War" (Season 10, Episode 14)
Check out the CBS TV schedule for showtimes for new episodes of these and all your other favorite CBS shows.
Stream new and previous episodes on-demand on CBS All Access.