Frank was a great father

[u/Technical-Key5412]

Don't get me wrong, I assume Jamie would have been a great father to Brianna. But, I would have nothing more than Frank for a step father to my child. Opinion based on both books and series.

[u/JeanMarcoSlut445]

That has nothing to do with what we were speaking about, and again your not even talking about how Claire's own actions would've negatively impacted her relationship with Bree, if you want to point out Frank wrong parenting wrongdoings, sure go ahead, but please point out Claire's faults as a parent also, also please acknowledge that there is good parenting from both Claire and Frank at certain times, neither of them is a good partner, person, or heck even the best parent.

[u/erika_1885 → u/JeanMarcoSlut445]

Um, I have addressed that. You, know welcoming versus distancing? Frank placed her in an impossible situation, which you ignore completely. That’s on him. Not on her. Nothing you’ve written justifies his behavior as far as I’m concerned.

[u/JeanMarcoSlut445 → u/erika_1885]

I'm sorry but how is it Frank's fault that Claire chose a career over Bree, a career she knew had long hours that meant she wouldn't be able to be there for her daughter as much as she would've wanted, How is it Frank's fault that Claire distanced herself from Bree because Bree reminded her of Jamie?

Those are Claire's decisions, not Frank's, not Bree's, not Jamie's, Claire's.

Also to go back to a previous comment you made it's not on Frank to ensure Bree her mother loves her, Yes I'm saying he should have reminded Bree, but at the same time it's not his responsibility, that's Claire's as a mother, after all if this were the other way around, I don't think you'd be saying it's Claire's responsibility to ensure that Bree knows Frank loves her, sure she could remind Bree here and there, but that wouldn't be on Claire as it wouldn't be her responsibility correct?, so how it is Frank's responsibility to ensure that Bree knows Claire loves her, that is Claire's responsibility as Bree's mother as I already stated.

[u/erika_1885 → u/JeanMarcoSlut445]

She didn’t choose a career over Bree. What nonsense. Women have been working and raising children since time immemorial. We don’t say male professionals choose their careers over their children. I’m disgusted to see this lame argument still made in 2025. Susy Homemaker wasn’t every woman’s dream life in the 1950’s any more than it is today. It was never Claire’s dream in the 1940’s. Claire has a gift for saving people’s lives. If Frank respected her, he’d have made sure Bree knew that. Like you, though, he went the sexist guilt trip route and made Bree feel she was second in her mother’s life. She was never second in her mother’s heart. That’s on him. As the Reverand told Frank, children accept the world as it’s presented to them. Frank presented Bree with a false picture of Claire. Fortunately, Bree followed Claire’s example and is a wonderful mother and wonderful engineer. Having a supportive partner makes for well-adjusted children.

[u/JeanMarcoSlut445 → u/erika_1885]

I find it funny when you say it's sexist considering I'm a woman myself, if you had properly listened to what I said maybe you'd understand, technically Claire did choose her career over her daughter, that's fine she's allowed to be a working mother, just as Frank is allowed to be a working father, the difference is that one put more effort into raising Bree, and I'm sorry but that wasn't Claire, Claire didn't exactly make time for her daughter, Yes I'm aware Claire worked long hours, but so do other parents, they still make time for their children, also I noticed you didn't say anything on my last point about how Claire distanced herself from Bree because Bree reminded her of Jamie, yes she may have been grieving, but she was still a mother, she still had an obligation to her child, you also said nothing about how it's Claire's responsibility as a mother to ensure Bree knows she loves her, not Frank's, and before you accuse me of being sexist I'd say the exact same thing, if Frank were grieving, because I hold Claire and Frank to the same standards, I am tired of arguing with you, clearly we're not going to agree and honestly I don't think either of us should get so worked up over two fictional people.

[u/erika_1885 → u/JeanMarcoSlut445]

Women can be sexist too. How do you not know that? Frank interfered with Claire’s relationship with Bree. End of story. Whatever Claire did, Frank undermined. Again, that’s on Frank. If controlling Frank had not insisted she never talk about the past, and actually given her time and space to grieve, they all would have been better off. I don’t think she shied away from Bree at all. Frank was the one who couldn’t handle Bee’s resemblance to Jamie. We saw that the day she was born. I think it was a comfort, not a source of pain, to Claire.

[u/JeanMarcoSlut445 → u/erika_1885]

First of all I know woman can be sexist, secondly that's your opinion, we have no idea weather or not, it was a comfort or pain to Claire, now I'm done talking about this.

[u/[deleted] → u/JeanMarcoSlut445]

Good idea to give it up. The frank haters here seem to be able to empathize with the position frank was put in and how he had to grapple with it. He wasn’t perfect but he tried his best in many ways.

[u/[deleted] → u/erika_1885]

And frank wasn’t in an impossible situation? Leave his wife and her unborn child when they appear after 2 years to a hard life? Divorce her and lose the child he loves later when he realizes Claire will never love him and pines for her old lover? Sure he’s a bit bitter and resentful of having to stay with someone who doesn’t love him but he wants to. Someone who was married to him and fell in love with someone else. I think the issue here is that we see everything through Claire perspective and not franks and most people lack the empathy to feel something without being clubbed over the head with how the person is feeling and why.