I Ranked 18 Disney Channel Parents From "Who Put You In Charge" To "Please Write A Parenting Book"

    Were the parents on Jessie ever actually on the show?

    Kristen Harris
    by Kristen Harris

    BuzzFeed Staff

    While some Disney Channel parents are absolutely amazing and integral to the show, others aren't characterized much beyond "the goofball we call Dad."

    NBC / Via giphy.com

    They also tend to make some pretty questionable decisions, like letting a person they just watched get thrown out of a taxi move into their apartment and be a nanny.

    So here is a ranking of Disney Channel parents from worst to best:

    18. Christina and Morgan Ross from Jessie:

    They slip into Emma's science fair at the last minute
    Disney / Via Disney+

    Even though they were so busy as a fashion designer and a movie director, these two could have made much more of an effort to be home. I mean, they spent so little time at home that their son Ravi, whom they just adopted, still called them "Mr. Daddy and Mrs. Mommy." They also left their kids in the care of a nanny they literally pulled in off the street. 

    17. Lloyd and Barbara Diffy from Phil of the Future:

    The Diffys watch TV with Curtis
    Disney / Via Disney+

    All parenting skills aside, they let their kids keep a human being as a "pet" just because he was a "caveman." Craig deserved better.

    16. Mimi and Mike Moon from Austin and Ally:

    Mimi and Mike raising their hands and closing their eyes
    Disney / Via Disney+

    These two never believed in their son, no matter how talented he was or how hard he worked. Even though he was already super successful at like 16, they wanted him to give up everything and work at their mattress store. 

    15. Ellen Jennings and Bennett James from Dog With a Blog:

    Ellen and Bennett have a discussion
    Disney / Via Disney+

    These two are the epitome of the "goofy parents" trope. Like most Disney Channel parents, they obviously favored their daughters over their sons. Honestly, the only other thing I remember about them is that they were the king and queen of cringe.

    14. Darryl and Roxanne Parks from A.N.T. Farm:

    Chyna's dad walks her in on her first day of high school
    Disney / Via Disney+

    They were so supportive of Chyna and her music, but they couldn't have cared less about Cameron. That's a common Disney Channel parent flaw — obvious favoritism toward the main character.

    13. Pete and Karen Rooney from Liv and Maddie:

    Pete and Karen sitting on a couch
    Disney / Via Disney+

    They tried to have the best of both worlds, but at what cost? Before the show started, Liv had been living across the country from them for YEARS. After she got home, though, they were generally pretty good.

    12. Robby Ray Stewart from Hannah Montana:

    Robby tells Miley she needs to go to the dentist
    Disney / Via Disney+

    He was a great dad...to Miley. However, he didn't care as much about Jackson, who was often the butt of his jokes. I mean, he didn't even think to set Jackson up with his own secret identity so he could go on the Hannah Montana tours with the rest of the family.

    11. Lester Dawson from Austin and Ally:

    Lester lectures Ally in the middle of the store
    Disney / Via Disney+

    He was supportive of Ally, but he went out of town and left her alone way too often. And on top of that, he left her solely in charge of the music store. Like, I get it, she was responsible, but running an entire store on your own for days on end is a *lot* of responsibility for one teenager.

    10. Bob and Amy Duncan from Good Luck Charlie:

    The Duncans consider Teddy's offer to babysit
    Disney / Via Disney+

    They definitely cared about their kids, but they fell into that "aloof and goofy" trope way too often. Teddy was the only mature person in the family. I mean, Amy even went so far as to hire a fake family to perform with her in a show at work, even though her oldest two were musically gifted.  

    9. Jerry and Theresa Russo from Wizards of Waverly Place:

    Jerry and Theresa hire Harper at the sub shop
    Disney / Via Disney+

    They definitely cared about all of their kids, but they didn't hide the fact that Alex was their favorite. Poor Max was almost always an afterthought. 

    8. Katy Hart from Girl Meets World:

    Katy visits Maya's class
    Disney / Via Disney+

    Katy did everything in her power to give Maya the life she deserved while still trying to pursue her own dreams. However, she distanced herself from her daughter a little too much, not to mention how much she embarrassed her by performing a dramatic monologue for career day at school.

    7. Jo and Sam McGuire from Lizzie McGuire:

    Lizzie's parents lecture her
    Disney / Via Disney+

    Unlike most of the Disney Channel parents who followed them, these two loved their children equally. They did their best and also admitted their mistakes. However, they lose a lot of points for letting their middle school–age daughter go to Rome on a school trip with only one chaperone, who was a total stranger. 

    6. Connie Munroe from Sonny With a Chance:

    Connie introduces herself to Marshall
    Disney / Via Disney+

    She was a little bit overbearing, but she truly cared about her daughter. I mean, she gave up her life in Wisconsin so Sonny could follow her dreams in Hollywood. However, she didn't stop parenting just because her daughter was on a TV show — she made it known that grades and good character come first.

    5. Georgia Jones from Shake It Up:

    Georgie visits Cece at work
    Disney / Via Disney+

    She was a good mom who seemed to love her kids equally, although she was a little goofy. 

    4. Marcie and Curtis Blue from Shake It Up:

    Marcie jokingly chastises Curtis
    Disney / Via Disney+

    Although they were only on the show a couple of times, they seemed to be supportive of Rocky and Ty. They always stepped up when their friends needed them too, like when Marcie replaced the minister who couldn't make it to CeCe's mom's wedding.

    3. Carey Martin from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody:

    Carey warns the boys to behave
    Disney / Via Disney+

    She was such a great mom, and she really did everything in her power to give her kids the best life possible. She slept on the sofa bed so they could have the one bedroom in their suite. Unlike a lot of Disney parents, she didn't leave her kids alone for long periods of time — she found a trustworthy babysitter (Maddie) to watch them while they were still young. 

    2. Tanya and Victor Baxter from That's So Raven:

    Tanya and Victor in the kitchen
    Disney / Via Disney+

    You can tell they were great parents because Raven didn't feel like she had to hide her psychic abilities from them. No matter how many situations she got herself into, they always helped her out of them. They're the reason she turned out so cool.

    1. And finally, Cory and Topanga Matthews from Girl Meets World:

    Cory and Topanga check on Riley and Maya
    Disney / Via Disney+

    Maybe it's just my lifelong love for Boy Meets World talking, but these two are the epitome of Disney Channel parenting. Cory went out of his way to help not only his kids but also their friends, like the time he made sure Maya had a cellphone. Topanga bought a bakery because Auggie was sad it was going to close down. Together, they encouraged Riley to embrace her kind, quirky, weird self.