Although How I Met Your Mother mainly focused on Ted telling his kids the story of how he met their mom and teaching them some important life lessons along the way, there are several additional heartwarming parenting moments within the show.
Each member of the friend gang has had their fair share of sweet moments with their parents on the show. But even the characters themselves have memorable moments with their own kids as well.
Loretta
Loretta Stinson is the name of Barney's mother. Growing up, Barney and his brother James didn't know who their respective fathers were. The two boys had a relatively rough childhood when growing up. However, their mother did her best to make sure that they were both happy. When Barney's classmates did not show up to his birthday party as a kid, she wrote him a note "from the Postmaster-General," claiming he forgot to send out the invites on time.
She also told Barney that he was too good to play on the basketball team and that's why he got kicked off the team when in reality it was that he was not good at all. At the end of the episode "Cleaning House," Barney realizes how many lies his mom told him to protect him. When she hands him a note with the identity of his real father, he tears it up before looking at it and hugs her.
Barney Meets His Dad
In the episode "Natural History," it is revealed that Barney's father was actually the man he always believed to be his uncle. Barney hadn't seen him in years because Loretta kicked him out of Barney's life.
It isn't until several episodes later that Barney decides that he wants to contact his father again. He writes his father a letter and a few episodes later, Barney gets a knock at his front door and finds Jerome, who says that he got Barney's letter. The two spend hours talking and drinking at MacLaren's Pub, bonding together.
Marshall And His Dad
Marshall's father, Marvin, is definitely Marshall's best friend outside of the close-knit friend group that the show revolves around. The two talk on the phone every day and Marshall tells his father everything. There are a couple of running jokes among the gang that Marshall shares too much with his father. Regardless, the relationship Marshall and his dad have is so wholesome and inspiring to all viewers.
Who Wants To Be A Godparent?
In the fourth episode of season eight, Marshall and Lily realize they want to make sure their son would be taken care of if they were to pass away. They decide that they want Marvin to be cared for by one of their closest friends.
So they host a game-show-style contest called "Who Wants To Be A Godparent?" in which the three contestants (Ted, Robin, and Barney) compete to see who is best suited for the job. The episode is both hilarious and heartwarming to see how much Marshal and Lily care for their son, but also how much the rest of the gang cares for him too.
The Hoop
In the season six episode, "Legendaddy," Barney is having dinner with his father Jerome and Jerome's wife, and his other son. It is revealed that his half-brother's name, J.J. actually stands for "Jerome Junior." Obviously, this breaks Barney's heart because Jerome was not around for Barney like he is for J.J. He storms out of the house and into the front yard where he tries removing the basketball hoop from above the garage door.
When Jerome follows him out to confront him, Barney gets emotional about how unfair it is that J.J. gets the family, and the house, and the dad, and Barney had nothing. So, Jerome leaves and returns with some tools to help Barney get the basketball hoop down in order to help to make up for Barney's heartache.
Robin In The Kids' Drawings
In the season seven episode, "Symphony of Illuminations," Robin finds out from her doctor that she can never have children. Even though she never wanted children, the news is something that deeply affects her in future storylines.
However, the viewers did learn that Robin had been the subject of some beautiful and meaningful art created by his children, who drew pictures of them together when they went to the zoo or the beach. Many fans have been led to believe this took place when Robin began to help Ted after Tracy's death.
Marshall's Dad's Last Words
Marshall definitely has the closest relationship to his parents of all the main characters of the show. Marshall was especially close to his father. When Lily revealed at the end of the season eight episode "Bad News" that Marshall's father had died, fans wept with Marshall as he hugged his wife and tearfully said "I'm not ready for this."
The theme for the memorial service was supposed to revolve around the last words Marvin had ever said to each of his family members. While everyone else's last words seemed so special and sweet, Marvin's last words to Marshall were about a movie rental. That was until Marshall discovered a voicemail message from his dad that he must have left just before his death where his last words to him were "I love you."
Barney Meets His Daughter
Barney Stinson has always been a player. He has even written a book all about different ways to lie to women in order to have sex with them. However, all that changed when his daughter was born in the finale episode of the series and Ellie was just a newborn still in the hospital.
When he held her for the first time, he said to her with tears in his eyes, "You are the love of my life. Everything I have and everything I am is yours."
Robin's Mom Flies To Her Wedding
Fans had never met Robin's mom in the entire series comprising of nine seasons. This was probably for two reasons. First of all, Robin and her mother were not very close. Second of all, and more importantly, Robin's mom was terrified of flying on an airplane.
However, she did make one exception to fly just to be at her daughter Robin's wedding in the show's ninth and final season. Knowing how hard that must have been for her, Robin was deeply touched to be reunited with her.