15 of the All-Time Greatest TV Parents

Parents: Phil and Vivian Banks

Parenting Style: Phil and Vivian were able to offset tough love with humor. Both of them knew when to be sensitive, when to be brutally honest, and how to treat any child like their own.

Lesson: One second you may be scolding your kids, the next you may be sharing a laugh — and that's OK. Learn to straddle the line between parent and friend when it's necessary.