Lois really was a horrible mother many times.

I agree with that. That kind of stuff shouldn't be in the reach of little ones.

I've been rewatching the episodes and thinking it over. There are a lot of people on this board or other sites that say the boys were in fact in the wrong and Lois had to be severe because of how the boys acted, but it could be that the boys were acting out because of Lois taking it to extreme levels on disciplining them. If they're going to get in trouble for things they didn't do anyway, then might as well have some fun while they're at it. For example, in Red Dress, she put them through all of that when they really didn't do anything wrong. She didn't even consider the fact that it could have been Hal, she immediately assumed it was them. I understand why she's flipping out over them setting stuff on fire, as she doesn't want them to burn to death in a fire, but she didn't even know it was them and didn't consider the fact they could be innocent. So if she always just assumes that they are being bad and they get punished for things they didn't do, I'm not surprised they act out.

Just to clarify, I'm in the middle of this debate. On the one hand, yes, Lois at times does take it to extremes when she shouldn't. Like in Evacuation, she had no right to humiliate Malcolm the way she did just because he stayed to study at Stevie's. Then there are times when it's understandable why she's freaking out or upset. I just compare her to other guardians and decided she isn't as bad as she could be. She isn't like the mother in flowers in the attic and abusing her kids to that extreme but she also isn't like Aunt Petunia in Harry Potter that let's her son get away with everything. Letting the kids get away with everything has just as much damage because they are not learning right from wrong.

I agree, she could tone it down a bit as there are times she goes overboard in her 'teachings' when she humiliates them[mainly Malcolm] or freaks out more than the situation calls for, but it's also good she isn't just letting them get away with things they do wrong. She's involved in her kids lives and tries to raise the to what she thinks is right[most the time]. Cause there's another part about Lois that makes it seem like she's just sadistic rather than teaching her kids right from wrong-when she tells Malcolm to do something and he's wrong for doing that and then when he does what she wants -he gets punished for that too. That seems sadistic more than parenting.

There are also times when Lois shows how much she loves them and defends them or helps them when she doesn't need to. Where other parents would just shrug it off, she helps them in some way.


I'm a Timelord.
Right, not pompous at all then.

To be fair, I think the point is that Francis was the type of kid who would have found and played with the lighter fluid no matter where they put it. Some kids are more rambunctious than others. I wasn't particularly unruly, and I had a pretty good childhood. I think it just so happens that when Hal and Lois mix their genes, their offspring produce typically more spirited children.

Interestingly enough, not all of the kids were like that. I think a lot of their behavior problems were the result of them growing up, doing what the others were doing and being influenced by each other, and playing off each other. For instance, Francis came out fighting, as did Reese. That was who they were from the start. Jamie was like that as well.

But if Malcolm and Dewey had been raised together without anyone else- or even just on their own, I think the house would have been significantly calmer.

Because the show is shot from Malcom's point of view- one of the "good" children, a lot of the punishments or lectures he has to endure because of what someone else did seems especially unfair. But I notice when it's just Lois and Malcolm, or just Lois and Dewey on screen, Lois seemed to be a bit nicer. Like the time Lois spent the episode playing cards and baking cookies for Dewey. Or the time Lois and Malcolm got sick and spent the day bedazzling stuff together. Or when Malcolm felt insecure about joining the Krelboyne class, and Lois said she would kick anyone's ass, including Malcolm's, if they ever said he was a bad person.

I think it was the little moments like that in between the chaos that showed she was a good mom who actually cared about her kids, and just wanted them to survive. I think anyone who has more than one child, probably has to go a little crazy sometimes just to keep themselves sane, if that makes sense.

Finally, I think it should be noted, that we actually get to see the woman who raised Lois. This is a woman most everyone could agree is 10 times worse. She literally stabs Francis in the knee once for provoking her. Can you appreciate what it must have been like to be raised by that level of instability? Yet, Lois never stabs anyone. We never see her lay a hand on any of her kids really. She yells, she lectures, she makes up creative punishments, she grounds... she's a big improvement over the parenting she endured. If any of her children have kids, they will also improve on her.

Little girls shouldn't look for four leaf clovers!