As far as sitcoms go, Modern Family is pretty realistic. The large Pritchett/Dunphy clan adore and annoy each other in equal measure, and since the characters cover a range of ages, they all have their own problems and hurdles to cross. Whether it's because Claire doesn't trust anyone else to do things the way she would, or Gloria is overprotective of Manny, most of the storylines make sense.
Both Gloria and Claire are wonderful mothers and their struggles often make a lot of sense as they just want their kids to be happy and thrive. But while some plots on Modern Family seem like they could happen to any family, others don't seem very practical or logical at all.
Most Realistic: Luke Is Upset That Phil Will Teach At His School
In the tenth season, Luke is in college, and Phil gets the opportunity to teach a real estate class there.
Luke is a confusing character but it's definitely nice to see him growing up and in school. This is a super realistic storyline, as it's hard to imagine any kid wanting their parent to teach at their school, even if it was college and not high school. While Luke and Phil always got along before this point, it was natural and logical that they would have some conflict eventually.
Least Realistic: Phil And Claire Almost Ban Christmas
In the first season episode "Undeck The Halls," Phil and Claire can't believe that there's a cigarette burn on the couch, and they want one of their children to say that they did it. They say that if no one admits it, they won't celebrate Christmas that year.
This is unrealistic as it's hard to imagine parents really doing that. Not only would it mean that they would miss out on the holiday traditions that they themselves love but it doesn't make sense that Phil seems to want to cave when it was his idea. Sometimes Phil and Claire are mean to each other and it was nice to see them on the same page here, but it wasn't the best storyline.
Most Realistic: The Family Tries To Celebrate Christmas Early (And It's A Disaster)
In the season three episode "Express Christmas," the whole family tries to celebrate Christmas early. They think that they can pull it off in one day.
Of course, it doesn't work out, and everything from the food to the tree is a total disaster. This is very realistic, as it's easy to see families trying to do this. But there's too much pressure to get it all done in a few hours, and it wasn't reasonable for anyone to think that it could have been achieved.
Least Realistic: The Family Forgets Alex Is Spending The Summer At Home
In the seventh season finale episode "Double Click," the family forgets that Alex is spending the summer at home.
While this was meant to be funny, it doesn't really make any sense. Claire and Phil love Alex so much, and it seems like they would know that she was going to be with them for the summer. Wouldn't a Type A person like Claire write down the date on her calendar and circle it a bunch of times?
Most Realistic: Haley Thinks She And Dylan Can Move In Together
At the end of the third season, Haley actually believes that it makes sense for her and Dylan to move in together after high school. This is super realistic as many young adults think that they can take on the world as soon as they graduate from high school and they can't imagine that anything would go wrong.
Haley and Dylan sometimes treat each other badly but despite the problems they have, they are pretty charming together. It's easy to picture many teenage girls wanting to move in with their boyfriend after high school.
Least Realistic: Haley Gets Married Without The Whole Family There
Haley and Dylan's wedding might have been sweet, but it didn't really make sense that Haley had wanted to elope.
Watching Cam and Mitch get married was wonderful and it would have been nice to see Haley plan a wedding of her own. Sure, she was pregnant with twins, but she could have still involved the rest of the family. It's unrealistic to think that she wouldn't want everyone there. The family is so close, so why wouldn't she invite all of her relatives?
Most Realistic: Claire And Phil Are Empty Nesters And Sad About It
Claire and Phil had often talked about how great it would be when their children were out of the house. But in the eighth season episode "Alone Time," they realize that it feels much sadder than they thought it would.
This is very realistic, as most parents would admit to feeling upset about their kids growing up and moving out. It can be hard to adjust to the new normal and not see them every day.
Least Realistic: Mitch Doesn't Want Cam To Know He Lost His Job
Fans love learning about Cam and Mitch as they are such a sweet couple. They're devoted to each other and to their children, Lily and Rexford.
At the end of the sixth season, Mitch loses his job and he would rather not let Cam know about it, as it's not the first time that he has been fired. This is unrealistic because they are so in love and so close, and, of course, Cam would understand and support him through this tough time. Cam has struggled with whether to work or be a stay-at-home dad so he knows that life isn't perfect.
Most Realistic: Claire Has To Tone Down Halloween And Then Scares At Phil's Open House
In the fourth season episode, "Open House Of Horrors," Claire isn't able to decorate her house for Halloween the way that she would love to, as she really freaked out the neighbors the year before.
Claire might have to tone down Halloween, but that doesn't mean she gives up the traditions altogether. She decides to follow Phil to an open house and tries to scare him. She eventually succeeds and it's hilarious. It can also be deemed realistic in terms of Claire's character as it shows that she can be carefree when she wants to be.
Least Realistic: Cam And Mitch Put Lily On A Leash
While some parents do use leashes on their children, it seems like the general feeling is that this is a super strange and awful thing to do. It's pretty unrealistic that in the season three episode "Disneyland," Mitch and Cam put Lily on a leash because she likes to run away really fast.
Lily says many smart, funny things and it's totally normal for her to explore her love of running and her newfound independence. Cam and Mitch could have dealt with this in another way.