Claire and Jamie's romance in the epic fantasy Outlander might be one for the ages, but that doesn't mean that fans would be taking parenting tips from them any time soon. In fact, most fans would say that they probably wouldn't take any parenting advice from any of the characters on the show since they don't always make the best decisions.
From Frank deciding that he wanted to take Bree away from her mother to Jocasta Cameron's husband leaving his daughter dead on the field without showing much remorse after shooting her, there have been more than a few dubious parenting decisions made by random characters in the series.
Claire Leaving Bree For Jamie
When Roger Mckenzie found out that James Fraser was most likely alive and kicking in the 1700s, Claire realized that she needed to travel back through the stones to see Jamie again.
While her ardor is natural, it didn't take her much time to choose between her daughter, who had just lost the man she had always known to be her father and was at a crossroads in her own life, and Jamie. Although sad at the prospect of possibly never seeing her daughter again, she still decided to charge ahead.
Jamie Readily Abandoning Laoghaire & His Step-Kids
Jamie's marriage to Laoghaire was of course rendered null and void when Claire turned up after twenty years. However, what many fans believed was very uncharacteristic was Jamie keeping his marriage to Laoghaire a secret from Claire. Considering they had promised to never lie to each other again, Jamie's secret ended up having huge repercussions on Marsali and Joanie.
After Claire's monumental return, Marsali and Joanie were shocked to discover Jamie was with someone who wasn't their mother or how he didn't tell them of his return. To make matters worse, Jamie and Claire's reunion inadvertently ended up having an effect on their family's reputation as Marsali claimed her mother was seen as "a laughing stock." It wasn't what he intended, but his actions did end up hurting Joanie ("Down The Rabbit Hole").
Jamie Refusing To Bless Fergus & Marsali
Jamie's refusal to bless Fergus and Marsali before their wedding was yet another instance of questionable parenting choice from James Fraser.
At first, Jamie had refused to give his blessings because he was concerned that Fergus and Marsali weren't ready for such a commitment. But later, he was simply annoyed with Fergus for not freeing him from his cell or helping him take over the Artemis during the voyage to Jamaica. While he finally conceded and even made Fergus an official Fraser during the wedding, his pettiness towards someone he loved like a son, was questionable indeed.
Jamie Accuses Brianna Of Lying About Her Assault
In season 4, the familial relationship between Jamie and Brianna was seen to be going strong. However, it suffered a major setback after Jamie viciously beat Roger and Young Ian sold him off to the Mohawk after mistakenly believing Roger to be Bree's rapist. Nevertheless, Jamie ended up making the situation even worse when an argument broke out between the two.
During the argument, the Scottish highlander once more jumped to conclusions and accused Bree of lying about her sexual assault because she was now pregnant. Considering how hesitant she had been to tell him in the first place, fans could see how hurt and devastated she was by his words. Even fans were shocked by Jamie's horrific accusation. No one could blame her for how angry she got.
Claire Distancing Herself From Bree For Years
Claire's relationship with Brianna remained strained for almost two decades until the latter found out the truth about her parentage.
True, Claire must have been reminded of Jamie every time she looked at her daughter and the fact that she was keeping the truth about her father from Bree must have weighed down on her. However, Claire choosing to distance herself emotionally from Brianna was picked up on by her daughter, which inadvertently caused a strained relationship between the two.
Frank & Claire's Unhappy Marriage
Speaking of Frank, his unhappy marriage with Claire must have affected their daughter more than they would have realized, for children, as they say, are extremely perceptive.
The charade of a marriage that the two lived, for Bree's sake, might have in turn been a bad decision. After all, when Frank started dating Sandy, the latter even came around at a time when Brianna was still very much at home. While it initially looked like Brianna didn't pick up on the tension between the two, it was later revealed that she did. Bree would listen to her parents' arguments all the time and be deeply upset by what she heard. Although they have good intentions, Frank and Claire would have definitely been better divorcing earlier.
Frank Wanting To Take Brianna Away
Frank Randall might have been a devoted dad but he too had his moments of questionable parenting. Frank had waited until Brianna graduated to bring up the question of divorce with Claire and even planned to take Brianna to England with him.
Of course, Frank was justified in seeking divorce with his feelings for Claire having gone unreciprocated for so long. But he could have restrained himself from springing the divorce and his plans to leave for England on Bree out of nowhere. Not only did his decision appear sudden to Bree, but he gave her very little choice in the matter, having made up his mind that his adoptive daughter was coming to live with him in a different country, away from her mother.
Lord Lovat's Disgraceful Attitude
The odious grandsire of Jamie and Jenny Fraser was probably one of the worst parents in the entire Outlander universe to date. Lord Lovat appeared to detest his own son Brian Fraser and had even endeavored to prevent his wedding to Ellen McKenzie by having her abducted. When that failed, he disowned him. The behavior he also exhibited towards his son, Simon, was disgusting at best as he mocked and shamed him in front of the other men.
Hector Shooting His Daughter & Leaving Her For Dead
Hector Cameron was one of Jocasta's husbands and had been involved in smuggling gold from France for the Stuart cause. He was fleeing to the Americas along with his wife and daughter when they were caught red-handed with the Jacobite gold by Redcoats.
In the ensuing chaos, Hector accidentally shot Morna but instead of being shattered by that, he chose to take Jocasta and run from the site at the earliest. He left her for the dead on that field with Jocasta's screams renting the air. Hector's despicable actions are undoubtedly some of the most questionable parenting choices in the series, if not outright outrageous.