It's hard to picture Modern Family without Lily Tucker-Pritchett. She brings so much joy to Mitch and Cam's lives and to viewers' as well. Always ready with a clever comment and her own take on a situation, Lily grows up so much from the pilot to the series finale.
Modern Family features the adorable and smart child trope as Lily always speaks exactly what's on her mind. But even though there are moments when Lily acts beyond her years on this popular sitcom, there are many times when she is childlike and charming.
Adult: Worried About Her Education
In season 6, Mitch and Cam didn't like Lily's teacher, Mrs. Plank, who gave a lot of homework. They wanted Lily to transfer into another teacher's class.
Lily was worried that she wouldn't get a good education in the other teacher's classroom, and she proved that to her dads when she showed that her friend didn't know much about mixing colors together or addition. This was a moment when Lily showed off her tough personality but also when she was mature beyond her years.
Kid: Wanted A Cat When Her Parents Had Trouble Adopting Again
Jay's beloved dog Stella got a lot of screen time on Modern Family and so did Lily's cat, Larry.
In the fourth season episode "Bringing Up Baby," Cam and Mitch shared with Lily that they were having trouble adopting another child. Lily thought this was fine because she wanted a cat. She kept asking her dads to give her one, and she wanted to name him Larry. This was a time when Lily acted her age, as she couldn't understand that this wasn't the same thing, and she wasn't able to comprehend the pain that her parents were in.
Adult: Told Sal Her Marriage Wouldn't Last
Fans love the many Cam and Mitch episodes of Modern Family, and whenever they hung out with their friend Sal, it was sure to be a hilarious time.
In the season 4 episode "Best Men," Lily told Sal that she didn't expect her marriage to last, and it was a moment when she seemed super wise. Sal said, "Sorry you couldn't come to the wedding. It was no kids," and Lily replied, "It's okay. I'll go to your next one." Sal was shocked that Lily was so blunt and Mitch tried to save the moment, but Lily said, "She knows what I mean." Most kids wouldn't assume that someone's marriage would fail, so this was a mature moment for Lily.
Kid: Didn't Know How Babies Are Made
In the season 6 episode "Haley's 21st Birthday," Lily reveals she doesn't know how babies are made. She says: "You just put eggs and tadpoles in a glass, and the woman has to drink it. Then, the woman and man kiss and jump on their bed. After a year, she pees, and a baby comes out."
This is definitely a child-like interpretation of procreation.
Adult: Pretended To Like Pop Singers To Spare Her Dads' Feelings
In the season 10 episode "We Need To Talk About Lily," Lily upset Mitch and Cam by sharing that she didn't actually love pop singers like Beyoncé and Britney Spears. She said, "I only fake it 'cause you guys like that stuff. I'm different."
While they were hurt, she didn't want to hurt their feelings by saying right away that she liked other music, so this was a time when she was trying to act older.
Kid: Loved Running Away
A season 3 episode featured the family going to Disneyland and Mitch and Cam putting Lily on a leash.
Lily proved that she was acting her age with this storyline, as she loved running anywhere that she could. Not everyone would agree with Mitch and Cam's choice to use a leash, but they weren't sure how to keep her close. Like many children, Lily was free-spirited and energetic. She didn't think about the danger of running away — she just wanted to have fun.
Adult: Gave Her Beloved Christmas Gift To A Less Fortunate Child
In the fifth season episode "The Old Man and the Tree," Cam and Lily went to a charity event where less fortunate children were being given Christmas gifts. Lily was obsessed with getting a Puppy Pound, and when she received one there, she was thrilled.
Once Lily learned that there were little kids who weren't as fortunate she was, she gave her beloved present to another child. This was an incredibly sweet act and was a good example of a time when she acted grown-up.
Kid: Wanting To Wear A Princess Costume To Mitch And Cam's Wedding
Mitch and Cam's wedding day was full of mishaps. It didn't seem like anything would go their way.
When Lily heard that she would have to buy a new dress for the event, she wanted to wear a princess costume. She wasn't too thrilled with wearing a regular dress and her dads agreed that it would be alright since they wanted her to be happy. This was adorable and proved that she could definitely act like a kid sometimes, despite her precocious nature.
Adult: Talked About Regret
When the family traveled to Australia, Lily had some money to buy a present, and she was super stressed out about finding the perfect one. Haley told her that if she purchased the very first gift that she came across, she wouldn't be happy later.
Lily sounded years older than she was when she replied, "You're right. I have enough regret." This wasn't something that people would expect a kid to say, which made it sound all the more profound.
Kid: Blamed Trouble On Joe
It was sweet watching Jay and Gloria parent Joe and in the fifth season episode "Spring-A-Ding-Fling, Lily said that some trouble with Gloria's cell phone was all Joe's fault. She confessed later on, "I'm going to blame everything on him until he learns how to talk."
This was a time when Lily acted like a little kid, as she didn't want to own up to her mistakes or admit when she did something wrong. Sure, Lily could get away with this kind of behavior as she was so cute and charming, but as she got older, she would have to learn about responsibility.