Toddler

"Max & Ruby": The Mystery of Their Absent Parents Revealed!

by Christine Coppa April 30, 2010 at 3:30 PM

Photo from NickJr.comEvery night at 6 p.m., two chubby white bunnies enter my living room and babysit my son while I clean the dinner dishes. I'm talking about Nick Jr.'s Max & Ruby, or as my 2 1/2-year-old son says, "MaxRuby!!!"

I happen to adore this show -- I love their warm, cozy house -- I bet it smells like soup. Ruby sings impromptu songs about "eating cookies and drinking cherry juice" -- we should all be so gleeful about our meals. "I'm going to nosh on a green salad with grilled shrimp for lunch today, woo!" (See what I mean?)

And Max, I credit that mischievous bunny with increasing my son's vocabulary. He usually says one word, like "monster," throughout an episode. It's a creative way to reinforce one word at a time. With all that said, where the heck are Max & Ruby's parents? I'm bursting with curiosity.

In an exclusive interview with Nick Jr., Rosemary Wells, the author of the highly acclaimed children's books the show is based on, says: "We don't see Max and Ruby's parents because I believe that kids resolve their issues and conflicts differently when they're on their own. The television series gives kids a sense about how these two siblings resolve their conflicts in a humorous and entertaining way."

Bravo! I'm all for a little self-serving when it comes to my son picking up his toys, and I love watching him figure out how to do things. The other day, instead of asking me for help carrying 10 Matchbox cars into the bathroom (for our nightly game of car wash), he threw them all in a dump truck and pushed it into the bathroom -- what a smartie!

What do you think about Max & Ruby? Love or hate the show? Do you think it's weird their parents never make a cameo?

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Comments 60

Nonmember comment from Joe

October 9, 2011 at 6:35 PM

My son watches this program and albeit it being wholesome there is the absence of parents which lead me to believe these children were orphans. They never mention their parents from a handful of the episodes I've seen. I have to agree with the above coment, Ruby is irritating.

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Facebook comment from AlishaRee May Woods

October 12, 2011 at 4:36 PM

well me and my friends on facebook were talkin about this and we think is dumb to cut parents out of the show we are what teach our kids how to tie shoes and ride bikes i mean their siblings are a big part also but i dont know about anybody else but my oldest would not be left alone to raise my youngest lol i know its just a cartoon but be serious i mean they should add parents at the beginning and end..

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Nonmember comment from Tania

October 18, 2011 at 2:05 PM

I think most of you need a hobby! Yes, Ruby ignores Max! We wouldn't have a episode if she listened to him the first time. Yes, Max from time to time will do something slightly off base or even unsafe like going to Grandmas alone but I don't think that teaches our kids to repeat that kind of unsafe behavior and I think the absence of the parents is GENIUS! It's sending a strong message that if you work at something you'll figure it out. Folks, it's a cartoon, stop reading into it so much. Good or bad our kids love it and it's better for them than Sponge Bob!!!

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Nonmember comment from Ingid

October 29, 2011 at 3:52 PM

I agree, with the theories of Ruby being a single mom type model. My young children were the first to bring up the fact that this isn't normal. A REAL big sister would have flattened Max long ago. Ruby is his MOTHER. A YOUNG SINGLE MOTHER.

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Nonmember comment from Eric

October 30, 2011 at 1:44 PM

It still doesn't make sense. They have other adults. The parents should make some kind of appearance. P.s. I hate ruby.

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Nonmember comment from David

November 27, 2011 at 11:19 PM

If you look on page 6 of the "Max and Ruby Dollhouse Theater Backdrops" in the link below and there appears to be a family portrait with Max and Ruby's parents. http://www.nickjr.com/printables/dollhouse-theater-backdrops-cf.jhtml

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Roo1234

December 12, 2011 at 11:02 PM

Our youngest son was a huge fan and used to call his older sister"Ruby" whenever she got bossy.

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PROUDMOMA2

December 13, 2011 at 3:23 AM

I always thought about that too. They are doing grown up things like shopping and riding the public bus. Ruby fixes max lunch, puts him to bed, gets him dressed, everything their parents supposed to do. Other than that, I have no issues with the show. My son watches it everyday. It keeps him occupied and out of trouble. He actually prefers nick jr over spongebob. He likes every show on nick jr and I occasionally watch them with him.

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Nonmember comment from Ellen

December 16, 2011 at 6:04 PM

My grandchildren love this show and don't seem to wonder at all where the parents may be. I think their absence bothers adults because it's so abnormal. This situation reminds me of Charlie Brown where the kids always solve their own problems, but at least we are made aware of the parents. It's odd that an incessant talker like Ruby would never mention them!

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BeautifulSyn

December 22, 2011 at 2:05 PM

Honestly it is a very good idea that the author has to show children resolving their problems however personaly I do not like the show though my 2 year old loves it.

Ruby is mostly the reason as to why I don't like the show she never takes the time to listen to her brother when he is trying to tell her something, and honestly if they want to depict children resolving their problems they should show Max fighting with Ruby when she doesn't listen to him.
And Max does enforce bad behavior because he never onces listens to his sister yet always manages to get what he wants in the end while Ruby has to suck it up and deal with it.

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