Top 10 parent-child relationships that defined daily soaps

Daily soaps have entertained viewers with their dramatic storytelling for a long time. Shows like The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, and General Hospital have showcased intriguing plotlines that showed the characters stumbling upon many challenges.

From scandals, conflicts, rivalries, and parent-child relationship dynamics, these shows depicted many good and bad examples. We have seen parents and their children despising each other, but most of the time, their love thrives over their disputes.

In this article, we have listed ten such parent-child relationships that define daily soaps.

Disclaimer: Please note that this entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.

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10) Ridge and Steffy

Ridge and Steffy had several complications in their father-daughter relationship in The Bold and the Beautiful. The major conflict is due to his relationship with Brooke Logan.

However, they share tender moments, and we also see Ridge being protective of Steffy when Luna, who tried to kill Steffy once, is speculated to be Finn’s daughter. Their care for one another makes their relationship one of the top ten parent-child relationships in daily soaps.

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9) Nikki and Victoria

Another fine example of a parent-child relationship in daily soaps is that of Nikki and Victoria.

Nikki and Victoria had their fair share of problems in The Young and the Restless. However, the mother-daughter duo always stood up for one another.

For instance, when Victoria revealed that JT was abusing her, Nikki assured her she would not let him hurt her. Later, she hits him with a fire poker on his head when she finds him yelling at her, which kills him instantly.

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8) Shauna and Flo

Shauna and Flo might not have a healthy mother-daughter relationship in The Bold and the Beautiful, but they were nevertheless close.

The mother-daughter duo had conflicts; for instance, Flo was angry when Shauna helped Quinn keep her infidelity a secret. She also helped Flo hide the fact about Hope’s daughter, who was swapped on Steffy’s order.

They supported each other even in their criminal or unethical activities, marking them as one of the important parent-child relationships in daily soaps.

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7) Carly and Josslyn

Carly and Josslyn are both strong women who often clash due to their varied opinions in General Hospital. However, even when they have numerous conflicts, they both try to look after each other.

Most of their initial clashes are because of Josslyn's blinded devotion toward Sonny. However, these conflicts never undermined their parent-child relationship. As we have seen time and again, Carly reassures Josslyn how much she loves her and has always been there for her. When Oscar's cancer diagnosis was shared, Carly was there to support her daughter.

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6) Brooke and Hope

One of the popular parent-child relationships in daily soaps, Brooke and Hope’s relationship was never a smooth one in The Bold and the Beautiful. Hope’s criticism of her mother’s relationship often causes disagreements between the duo, but they always overcome them.

Brook is also very protective of Hope against Steffy and Taylor, who are their rivals. Other than that, Hope and Carter's recent takeover plans might have impacted the mother-daughter relationship, but Brooke still defended her daughter in front of Ridge and blamed Carter for being the mastermind.

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5) Phyllis and Summer

Phyllis and Summer from The Young and the Restless also had gone through many ups and downs but eventually formed a good mother-daughter relationship.

While they went through many complications in their relationship, they supported and stood by each other's side during difficult times in their lives. Phyllis supported her daughter when she lost her husband, Austin, and was grieving.

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4) Joe and Tad

Joe and Tad had an interesting dynamic among the numerous parent-child relationships in daily soaps. Tad was depicted as the unruly child in All My Children and often needed his father’s wisdom.

Even after so many conflicts and complications in their relationship, Joe was still one of the guiding forces in Tad’s life. The biggest impact of Joe could be seen when Tad became a father himself. His relationship with his children was similar to how Joe had with his children: always comforting and loving.

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3) John and Jack Abbott

John and Jack Abbott have had many clashes in their father-son relationship in The Young and the Restless. However, John’s presence in Jack’s life and the lives of any of his children is undeniable.

Even after being a spoiled child and dating his father’s ex-wife, their relationship remained intact. John played both the role of mother and father figure in Jack's life; therefore, when he died, it impacted Jack profusely as he felt alone and started seeing his ghost everywhere.

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2) Eric and Ridge

Two of the most popular characters from The Bold and the Beautiful, Eric and Ridge, have one of the most complicated and tumultuous parent-child relationships in daily soaps.

They are rivals in leading the family’s fashion business in their relationship with women, especially Brooke, with whom both were involved at different times and have conflicts in every aspect. However, they still had respect for each other, which showed when it was revealed that Ridge was not Eric’s biological son, but they still maintained their father-son relationship as he oftentimes favored Ridge in making business decisions rather than his biological son, Thorne.

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1) Luke and Lucky

Luke and Lucky’s father-son relationship is one of the finest in daily soaps. The characters from General Hospital had gone through many hardships in their relationship but overcame all of them.

After it was revealed that Luke had r*ped Laura, their relationship did suffer, but eventually, Lucky forgave him. Furthermore, their last heart-to-heart conversation, when Luke apologizes for not giving Lucky a good childhood and then tells him that he was a good man, nothing like him or his grandfather, is heartwarming.

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Also Read: Top 10 family feuds in The Bold and The Beautiful