5 TV Moms who broke out of their homemaker role and smashed stereotypes

Norma Arnold, Rainbow Johnson, Jessica Huang and Joyce Byers

Today's the day to celebrate our moms. In order to honour them on Mother's Day, we've picked out some of our favourite TV matriarchs. From Kevin's mother, Norma (from The Wonder Years) to the superhero mom of the Dunphy tribe, Claire, (from Modern Family) we celebrate mothers who have broken out of their homemaker roles, became the supermoms and excelled in their chosen career paths. Here's a list of TV moms who managed to pull down a paycheck while also packing their kids' lunches!

Norma Arnold, The Wonder Years

While an 80s sitcom mom, Norma, portrayed a mother in the 1960s and 70s. She showed us the transformation of a woman during the burgeoning women's movement. Norma had dropped out of college and gotten married. But she goes back to school, finishes her degree, and lands up as an executive with a software startup. Her inspiring evolution over the years showed us that no matter the decade or circumstance, women could be or do anything. Throughout the series, you see her yearning to break out of her homemaker role, which reflected the rise in feminism in the 1960s US. If you wish to take a trip down memory lane, watch this show currently airing in India on Star World.

Jessica Huang, Fresh Off the Boat

One of the smartest, strongest, and most protective TV moms, Jessica Huang, played by Constance Wu, is a character we have all grown to admire. Whether Jessica is chasing down teens who dine-and-dash at the family's restaurant or is standing up to the middle school principal, she is nothing like a stereotypical Asian woman, or even a typical sitcom mom. She is strong, bold, and unapologetic! Beneath her brash and ambitious exterior self, she is a kind, loving, and caring mother. You see her pursue her career when she takes a step back from helping her husband run his restaurant and goes on to chart her own success as a real estate agent. You can watch the show on Disney + Hotstar.

Rainbow Johnson, Black-Ish

The perfectly imperfect TV wife and working mom, Dr Rainbow Johnson on Black-ish is kind, funny, selfless, and usually nice. Played by Tracee Ellis Ross, Bow is an anesthesiologist who is unapologetic about having a career that she loves. Like most moms, she has bouts of feeling guilty about loving her job and being a mom, but she uses those moments as teachable lessons for her children about having ambition and purpose in life. Black-ish can be watched in India on Disney + Hotstar.

Joyce Byers, Stranger Things

Joyce Byers was one of the strongest characters throughout the first season of Stranger Things, going the extra mile again and again to find Will. Remember that this is the show set in the 80s. Given the time, Joyce, a single mother, works hard at a low-paying job to support her family. Working at a retail store, she gives her best to make ends meet. And though not a central character, Joyce is a badass mother, who works damn hard and loves her kids! The show is currently streaming on Netflix.

Claire Dunphy, Modern Family

Claire is uptight, bossy, and often frantic. A stay-at-home mother and wife until season five, Claire starts the juggle between work and kids when her father, Jay, hires her to work at his office. A perfectionist when it comes to dealing with her family, Claire is a mother who almost always knows what to do during stressful times, more than Phil. She gave up her career when she got pregnant with her first child, but later returned to work to head up her father's successful closet business. One of the funniest modern moms of this generation, Claire teaches us so much! The series culminated just recently, and can be watched in India on Star World.

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