Manny Delgado is one of the most prudent characters on Modern Family. He's mature, approachable, and a good listener. He also gives some of the best advice on the show. Gloria raised him to be honest and trust-worthy, both traits he carries out throughout the series.
But just like any kid, Manny has had his faults over the years. He has given some bad advice for his own benefit from time to time and has said mindless things in the heat of the moment. Having a family member as impressionable as Luke has made some of Manny's advice ill-timed. It goes to show that as perfect as Manny Delgado appears throughout the series, he still has his moments of carelessness.
Best: Conflict Resolution
In "Me? Jealous?" Mitchell and Cam move in temporarily with the Delgado-Pritchett clan while their home was under renovation. Cam and Gloria began to butt heads, so Manny stepped in to smooth things out.
While Cam was hiding in the bathroom, Manny gave him some mature advice for someone so young. "I'm a child of divorce. Conflict resolution is something of a specialty. The key is to share a personal story that applies to their situation; even if you have to make one up. That way they really hear what they need to hear." It's because of his advice that Gloria and Cam got back on track.
Worst: Giving Up When Things Get Tough
Manny is lucky to have thick-skinned parents. There's not much that offends Jay and Gloria, so they live their lives honestly and freely. On the other hand, he isn't as confident and needs a little boost every now and then.
Every so often, Manny gets in his own head and advises those around him to give up when the going gets tough. He did this with Jay in "The Old Man And The Tree" when the two were in the forest looking for a Christmas tree, and he gave up on himself again when he wanted to quit fencing. Advising people to give up in times of difficulty isn't necessarily inspiring.
Best: Alex's Identity Crisis
It's hard to imagine Manny getting to know the whole family for the first time because they're so comfortable loving with each other by the end of the series. However, when Jay and Gloria got married, the rest of the family still wasn't used to Manny's wisdom.
In "Come Fly With Me," Gloria dropped Luke off at the Dunphys to play with Luke but he wasn't interested in childhood foolishness. He, instead, stayed inside with Claire drinking coffee. Claire vented about Alex's difficulties with fitting in and Manny gave her the wisdom she needed to hear. "Maybe Alex doesn't want to compete with her big sister. Maybe she's trying to create her own identity." That was enough for Claire to loosen up on Alex and see her in a different light.
Worst: Party Crashers
In "Mistery Date," Manny and Luke accompany Claire and Alex on the road for Alex's spelling competition. While the two boys were in the hotel lobby, they saw a group of attractive girls their age pass them by.
They realized there were a few bar mitzvahs going on at the hotel and that the only way to meet girls their age was to crash the party. Manny is typically a rule-abiding citizen, so it was out of character for him to suggest crashing parties, eating the hosts' food, and walking home with a goody bag when he didn't know the people celebrating.
Best: Be Truthful
Luke is the experimental troublemaker in the Dunphy household. Everyone looks at Haley as the "problem child" but Luke has also gotten into a fair share of scrapes. In "Tableau Vivant," Luke experimented in one of the science labs at school when no one was looking and accidentally started a fire. He did the right thing and grabbed a fire extinguisher but he lied about what really happened when a teacher came in. Manny encouraged Luke to tell the truth and for him to be inspired by the American flag. Sadly, Manny's advice fell on deaf ears.
Worst: The Wedding Song He Suggested For Gloria & Jay
Before Gloria and Jay got married, Manny wasn't necessarily fond of Jay (and vice versa). Manny and Gloria had always been a two-person team and that was about to change. But he and Jay eventually warmed up to each other (Jay even called Manny his "kid" in later seasons) and created an unbreakable bond.
In "Treehouse," Jay told the cameras that when he and Gloria asked for help for a wedding song, Manny's advice wasn't exactly kind. He chose the song from Beauty and the Beast...
Best: Live Care-Free While You Can
When Manny's birthday came in the second season, he was upset that he didn't have the traditional childhood that his friends had. He never cared for drinking soda or blowing things up. He had mature interests. At his dinner, he advised his loved ones to embrace their inner child and to not rush through life. It was the cherry on top of a questionable day.
Worst: He Suggested Violence
"Leap Day" was full of fun storylines for each family. Leap Day was Phil's favorite holiday, Cameron's birthday, and an eye-opening day for the Delgado-Pritchett household.
Jay and Gloria were at a bar watching a soccer game when things got out of hand between Gloria and a group of men. Instead of beating the men up for speaking to his wife in such a vulgar way, Jay bought them a beer and left them alone. Although it was senseless, Gloria wanted Jay to stand up for her — and Manny knew it. Jay asked Manny for advice afterward and he said "Maybe my mom wouldn't mind seeing a glimpse of that Jay." Jay knew he had to stand up for his woman after that and ended up getting everyone thrown off the party boat for Cam's birthday. If Manny gave him softer advice, maybe that wouldn't have happened.
Best: Haley Deserved Better
Haley has made some brutal mistakes over the course of 11 seasons but she didn't deserve to be treated badly. When she was in a tough patch with a boy named David, Manny giving her advice to boost her confidence. "You deserve better, Haley," he told her sweetly. "A dreamer, a poet...Wait for him. He might be closer than you think."
Worst: Visiting WebMD When Sick
Jay wasn't feeling like his normal self in "Mother Tucker." His stomach was hurting but Gloria wasn't taking his pain seriously. Manny was in the middle of the two and hopped online to determine what was wrong with Jay.
However, Manny's non-professional health advice scared his stepfather. Instead of seeing a doctor, the two roamed a medical website to find out what was wrong with him. Jay ended up ignoring Manny's advice and going to the hospital where he found out he needed emergency surgery!