While a central focus of How I Met Your Mother is the idea that the gang are each others’ chosen family, fans do get to meet their biological families at various points throughout the show. Almost everyone’s parents, siblings, and even grandparents show up, although some clearly have more healthy, loving family dynamics than others!
There are plenty of family-centric storylines that focus on problems: Robin’s horrifying stories of her childhood with an absentee mother and a father who wanted a boy, Barney’s search for his father and his mother’s lies, Ted’s parents lying to him about their divorce (and his grandmother’s death), and Lily struggling with her father’s behavior. Only Marshall seems to have a really wholesome family dynamic (and they have their issues too!), but all of the gang have at least one heartwarming family moment over the course of the show.
Marshall & Lily Sing Goodnight To Marvin
By the end of the series, Marshall and Lily have started their own family, with Marvin Wait-For-It Eriksen, and they are adorable as parents. The two have lots of heartwarming moments together with their new son, from their attempts to take a new family photo to their struggles when leaving him alone for the night for the first time. But possibly their sweetest moment is when the pair sing him his ‘night-night song’, which includes a huge (and hilarious) range of instruments and characters, showing just how far they will go to give him the most loved and imaginative childhood they can.
Robin’s Father Agrees To Come To The Wedding
Robin and her father do not have a positive relationship, and most of their scenes together emphasize how he treated her badly when growing up. He treated her as the son he wanted, yelled at her, denied her affection, and even dropped her in the wilderness alone to test her. So in the run up to her wedding, when he refused to give his blessing, and then revealed he was married himself and hadn’t told Robin about it, she was furious, and cut him off.
This isn’t the wholesome scene, of course. That comes later, when Robin’s father comes to her to apologize, and even to offer to divorce his wife to try and make amends. Robin, in turn, finally talks to him about what she wants: a “normal” dad who will give her away and dance at her wedding, to which he finally agrees. For most families, this would be a painful moment, but given their history, it’s a wholesome one for Robin.
Ted Toasts His Mother & Clint
Ted also doesn’t have the best relationship with his parents – he rarely sees his father, and while he seems to get along with his mother, he cannot stand her boyfriend, Clint. Ted seems to find Clint something of an insufferable hippy, and dislikes how open Clint and his mother are about sex and intimacy – which ends up leading to him walking out of his mother and Clint’s wedding before giving his toast. However, he does end up giving them the toast privately, on their doorstep, a little later on. It’s a sweet moment that shows how Ted is able to accept Clint because he recognizes how happy Clint makes his mother.
Barney’s Dad Teaches Him To Use A Screwdriver
For much of the series, Barney struggles with the fact that he doesn’t know who his father is, but he eventually discovers that it’s a man he thought was an uncle – Uncle Jerry (Jerome). This realization, and rebuilding his relationship with ‘Uncle Jerry’ isn’t easy, though, as Barney discovers that Jerome has been living as a suburban dad all along, and is heartbroken that he couldn’t be Barney’s suburban dad, if that was what he wanted.
It’s a heartbreaking scene, as Barney storms out and tries to take the basketball hoop with him, but doesn’t know how to use tools – because he didn’t have a Dad to teach him how. Jerome, sadly and calmly, teaches Barney how to do it – and they share one real father/son moment, for the first time.
Marshall’s Parents On A Video Call
The death of Marshall’s father is one of the saddest moments in the show, but before this, he has a huge number of sweet and wholesome moments with his son, from giving him advice to just encouraging him every step of the way. One of the best and simplest, though, may well be when Marshall is attempted to video call with his parents, and they just can’t figure out the camera. First they stand so far away that they are practically on the opposite side of the room, then they are so close they are basically just eyeballs on the screen. It’s a minor scene, but one that is hilarious and deeply relatable.
The Football Game At Marvin’s Grave
In the seventh season, Marshall goes to his father’s grave to talk to him and maintain a tailgating tradition they had – he brings a radio to listen to the game, and a barbeque & beers. However, he soon discovers that he isn’t alone there – his brothers also show up with the same idea, and then other mourners end up joining them. At first, Marshall is frustrated with everyone getting in the way, but he soon starts to give them burgers, create a positive atmosphere, and someone accidentally calls him Marvin, because he’s so much like his father. From that moment, Marshall realizes how much of their tailgating involved his father being friendly, creating community, and surrounding them with people – it’s a beautiful memory, and a great moment to see him become like the father he idolized.
Lily’s Dad Shows Up With A Teddy Bear
In the same episode as Marshall’s tailgating, Lily is pregnant, and reluctant to tell her father. Her dad has always disappointed her, and she doesn’t want to get hurt again, but Marshall convinces her to call him. For a moment, it seems like her fears are realized, as he makes a calm comment and then hangs up.
Later that episode, though, she opens the door to find him there with a huge teddy bear, having left his convention the moment he hung up. Lily’s dad may be far from perfect, but seeing his reaction, and how he does care, was heartwarming.
Barney Finds Out He Will Be An Uncle
When Barney’s brother comes to town, Barney is thrilled because they’ve always made a great pair picking up in bars and clubs… but James reveals that he’s actually now in a serious relationship, and plans to marry his boyfriend – leaving Barney furious. He disapproves of monogamy and marriage, and tries to convince James to break up with his boyfriend… until James tells him that they are also adopting a baby. When Barney discovers he will be an uncle, everything shifts, and he sees how amazing it will be to have his family expand. He even ends up being James’ best man.
Lily’s Grandparents Give Them A Home
Lily’s relationship with her mother isn’t much better than the one she has with her father – but she does have a loving relationship with her grandparents, who live out in the suburbs. While they don’t show up on the series much, they do have one major impact on Lily and Marshall – when they retire to Florida, they gift the couple with their house! The two don’t end up living there for long, of course, but it’s an amazing moment, and one that shows how close they really are.
Barney Forgives His Mother
Barney loves his mother, and is very close with her, but struggles to deal with the lies that she has told him over the course of his life. As a child, she lied to him about all kinds of things – from why no one came to his birthday party, to who his father really was. At one point, this even threatens their close relationship, but in the end, he forgives her. Seeing Barney realize that she did all these things as a single mother, trying her best to make sure her sons were happy, is enough for him to understand that all she wanted was his happiness… and to tell her that she is all the parent he ever needed.
