Be it Rick, Beth, or Jerry, all the parenting figures in Adult Swim's Rick and Morty are far from perfect. Each of the characters has their deep-seated insecurities that are expressed through impulsive actions and bizarre adventures that often put Morty and Summer in great danger.

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While the Smith siblings are no less in encountering deadly lifeforms in different dimensions, the negligence and internal tensions between their parents and grandfather do bring trouble. Who's the worst parent in Rick and Morty? That question can be up for debate, but questionable parenting choices make their way in each of their character arcs.

Rick Raising Gaia's Children

A still from Childrick of Mort

In Childrick of Mort, it's revealed that Rick had once impregnated Gaia, an entire planet on its own. When Gaia gives birth to new creatures, she seeks the help of Rick, who is allegedly the "father." Compelled by Beth to be a good parent, Rick saves these alien babies from death but then instantly throws them into a series of professions, encouraging them to fight each other and create a society of their own. He never cares to know their names or identities and just plunges them into chaos, wishing to leave the planet thereafter.

Reggie's God Complex

Reggie and Rick Sanchez in Childrick of Mort

In the same episode, Reggie is revealed to be the actual father of Gaia's children. Resembling the popular depiction of Zeus, Reggie is a colossal being who thinks of himself as a god.

Reggie and Rick engage in an intense duel, fighting over their claims to fatherhood. Once Reggie overpowers the alcoholic scientist, he reveals that he's as bad as his opponent when it comes to parenting. It turns out that Reggie, too, doesn't care about the children's future, but he just wants to instill a fear of God in them—the God, in this case, being Reggie himself.

Morty's Adamant Stand At Raising Morty Jr.

Morty Jr. holding a beer and looking angry

When Morty has an accidental baby with a sex robot, he insists on raising the child, whom he christens Morty Jr. The rest of his family advises him to not be a parent this soon, as he's just an adolescent. Morty decides to give his shot at parenting and instead of aborting Morty Jr. or sending him back to his native planet, he tries to raise him on his own.

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Even if Morty's intentions are noble, he only risks his own son's life by parenting him at an emotionally immature age. Morty also doesn't make any effort in knowing his son's species or planet and just spends his days watching TV with him. Later on, Morty Jr turns out to be a highly successful author on the planet of Gzorparzorp, authoring the book "My Horrible Father."

Beth Imitating Rick

Beth and Rick looking angry in Rick and Morty.

Rick had definitely been a bad parent to Beth, leaving her mother for unknown reasons and being absent for most of her childhood. However, in the series, Beth tries her best to make Rick stay with the family, and she does end up emulating his negative personality in this process. Her attempts to maintain a good relationship with her father cause her actual children to be left ignored or misunderstood.

In The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy, Morty loses his cool and tells Beth that she can be as arrogant as her father. In a brutally honest monologue, he adds that Beth just sucks up to Rick and this drives everyone else away from her.

Entrusting Morty With Rick

Rick and Morty arguing

Beth is very well-aware of the dangerous other-worldly ordeals that her father engages in, characterized by sex, drugs, violence, and near-death experiences. Yet, Beth, and, to an extent, Jerry, have no issues in their son spending time with his unstable, largely unempathetic grandfather.

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Beth also believes that Rick is Morty's only friend and can help him overcome his insecurities. Still, it's no justification for allowing her son to embark on intergalactic journeys with an alcoholic.

Rick And Beth's Alcoholism

Rick and Beth's alcoholism in Rick and Morty

As mentioned before, Rick's alcoholic habits largely contributed to the distance from his daughter. But, alcoholism seems to be present across generations, as Beth also has her own share of drunken behavior.

In Total Rickall, a flashback reveals how a drunken Beth accidentally hit Summer with a glass bottle on her picture day. As she attempts to cover Summer's bruise with her make-up, Summer cries and wishes to stay at school rather than her own home.

Creating Clones

Beth and Space Beth in Rick and Morty

While Rick has shown his empathy on a few occasions, his general disdain towards humanity and self-centered scientific experiments can be damaging to his own daughter. Beth went into an existential crisis when Rick floated the idea that she may or may not be "a clone of Beth" rather than the real Beth.

As was revealed in the further episodes, Beth and Space Beth both are unsure of their origins, and yet they both start bonding with each other over their mutual hatred for Rick.

Self-Importance

Rick and Morty Jerry Snuffles

Jerry is ridiculed by just about everyone on the show, including his own spouse and children. He's often envious of Beth as a co-parent and is mostly at loggerheads with Rick. Jerry's frustration with the latter makes sense because of Rick's unpredictable decision-making skills.

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However, in an attempt to get close to his children, he often forces his own interests on them which only drives them away. As seen in Childrick of Mort, he desperately tries to get Morty and Summer inclined towards camping despite their lack of interest. On this trip, Summer even goes to the extent of telling him that he forces his interests upon them just to feel important.

Masking Emotions

Rick Sanchez in rick and morty

A trait that's mostly found in Rick's personality—and Beth's, to an extent—is hiding emotions. Rick might be an expert at many things, but communication is definitely not his field of expertise. Otherwise, he's hardly ready to make any efforts to communicate better to his daughter and reveal his true emotions.

He often hides his emotional side with sarcasm and science, and he's often so prude to non-toxic attitudes that he often shames others (mostly Jerry) for being emotional around him. He had already been absent for most of Beth's formative years. Even when he starts living with her family, he neither understands her vulnerabilities nor allows her to know his own.

A Dysfunctional Marriage

Jerry and Beth fighting.

As Summer sums it up well in Rixty Minutes, "thank you guys so much. It's a real treat to be raised by parents that forced themselves to be together instead of being happy." Jerry and Beth are highly incompatible as a couple and their marriage more than often hangs by a thread.

Jerry's insecurities, Beth's efforts at winning Rick's approval, such factors come into play while creating a rift between the two. Of course, Summer and Morty face the brunt of this conflict. This would explain why both of them are mostly detached from their parents, at least from an emotional perspective.

NEXT: Rick And Morty: The Main Characters, Ranked From Worst To Best By Character Arc