A related trope to this, and I can't tell if it already exists here but I see it EVERYWHERE so I'm bringing it up, is what I call the Stock Family Dynamics. Observe.
Father: Will almost always be goofy but ineffectual. He probably works an ambiguous white-collar job. In kid's media, he loves his wife, and possibly kids, to a sickeningly embarrassing degree. In teen and older media, he's more likely to be emotionally neglectful and/or abrasive. He's probably into fishing, or tinkering with his car. It's not guaranteed, but he's probably balding.
Mother: Loving, but out of touch with her children somewhat. She'll never 'get' what they like, no matter how simple or like her own interests it is. Traditionally a housewife and homemaker, although the rise of working mothers makes this less universal. If she does work, it'll either very low on the job ladder (like a shop cashier), really gender-coded (like a nurse), or really, REALLY high-ranking and competitive (probably law or finance). She probably doesn't have any real hobbies of her own, but if she does, they're gardening, reading, or decorating. In kid's media she'll be silly in her out-of-touch-ness, but in teen media she'll more likely be doting but unappreciated or shrill and harpyish.
Older sibling - female: An older sister will typically be older teenage, 15-18. Her interests are almost exclusively to do with fashion, chatting with her friends, and boys. She's almost certainly one of the popular girls, and in social situations will try to distance herself from her family. She hates her younger siblings for being annoying, and will usually barricade herself in her room in her spare time. She's more into purple than pink. She'll often be vain and self-absorbed, but when the going gets tough she'll show that she really does care. No matter how long the work goes on, she never seems to leave high school. If it's a teen series, she'll already have a job, though if she's living at home it'll just be a part-time retail job at a shop, cafe/restaurant or cinema or similar. She'll probably have long, straight hair.
Older sibling - male: One of the more variable members. He's usually either the ideal man or a some weirdo manchild. In the former case, he'll almost always be attractive, probably sporty, and surrounded by cool friends. In the latter case, he's a misfit with misfit friends, is probably unkempt at best, and into the arts (particularly music) and possibly a G-Rated Stoner. His reliability and approachability are inversely proportional depending on the type.
'Neutral' sibling - female: A female character around the target audience's age, although she may be younger. She will almost always be the smart one. She'll have a towering intellect, often with sarcasm or cynicism to match, and be fond of correcting people. If anyone's going to have a Soapbox Sadie moment, it's her - she knows enough about the world to be aware of [insert hot-button issue], but not so self-absorbed as to not care. She will be perfectionist, neurotic, and hypercompetitive. She's more likely to have quirky hair like curls or tied-up hair than older girls, but her fashion oscillates between smart-but-boring and Rummage Sale Reject.
'Neutral' sibling - male: A male character around the target audience's age, though he's more likely to be older if it's close. He's almost certainly between 10 and 15. He'll probably be a class clown, troublemaker type, pulling pranks and winding people up. He'll generally be portrayed as a weird combination of cool and dorky. He'll wear t-shirts and cool fashions for his age, or at least inoffensive ones, and will generally have short but styled hair. His hobbies will often be watching TV, reading comics, maybe superheroes if he's younger, and often some kind of 'bad' hobby that's ultimately harmless like skateboarding or graffiti (don't expect him to do worse than write 'butt' on things though). But he won't be on a sports team (it gives him more time for wacky hijinx), he'll probably be disproportionately small and noodlish compared to the more popular boys his age, and will probably be picked on as a dweeb, regardless of how nerdy he actually is. His friends are more varied, but will generally be social outcasts - he will have at least one geek friend with unflattering fashion and glasses. He'll be truly chaotic neutral, but is also most likely to stand up for his family if pushed. He'll be associated with red or blue.
The baby: The baby can be either gender, and despite the name could be anywhere up to 5. Like the older sister, the baby will never grow up and mature. Up the the age of about 2 the baby's gender is completely superficial, but they'll probably be female unless there isn't another male child. After that, toddlers will be one of two flavours - a boy who's really into cars or dinosaurs, or a girl who's really into fairies and princesses. They'll generally be lost in their own little world when someone wants to interact with them. That said, they'll often be hypercompetent, be it through skill or apparent dumb luck. Super-intelligent babies that can talk are not uncommon in comedic works, in which case they'll be even more the smartass than the younger sister.
Pets: There will probably be a dog, and possibly a cat. Who likes what will be very gender-coded. There might be a rodent or rabbit, but they'll be exclusive to younger children (especially girls). Fish might exist, but they're more set-dressing than companions.
BONUS - Grandparent: Curmudgeonly, sleeps a lot, barely more than set-dressing. Will shout something funny every now and then. Grandmothers are more likely to be sassy, grandfathers bitter or confused. There'll only be one, and they're more likely to be the mother's parent than the father's. Weirdly, they'll seem MUCH older than the parents, who in turn can often seem too young for their oldest child.
Overall, there will rarely be more than three children, and if there are three then expect one to be wildly divergent in age like the above trope.
(I get that the Simpsons codified a lot of these, but I see it a LOT in British and foreign media, especially older works)
A related trope to this, and I can't tell if it already exists here but I see it EVERYWHERE so I'm bringing it up, is what I call the Stock Family Dynamics. Observe.
Father: Will almost always be goofy but ineffectual. He probably works an ambiguous white-collar job. In kid's media, he loves his wife, and possibly kids, to a sickeningly embarrassing degree. In teen and older media, he's more likely to be emotionally neglectful and/or abrasive. He's probably into fishing, or tinkering with his car. It's not guaranteed, but he's probably balding.
Mother: Loving, but out of touch with her children somewhat. She'll never 'get' what they like, no matter how simple or like her own interests it is. Traditionally a housewife and homemaker, although the rise of working mothers makes this less universal. If she does work, it'll either very low on the job ladder (like a shop cashier), really gender-coded (like a nurse), or really, REALLY high-ranking and competitive (probably law or finance). She probably doesn't have any real hobbies of her own, but if she does, they're gardening, reading, or decorating. In kid's media she'll be silly in her out-of-touch-ness, but in teen media she'll more likely be doting but unappreciated or shrill and harpyish.
Older sibling - female: An older sister will typically be older teenage, 15-18. Her interests are almost exclusively to do with fashion, chatting with her friends, and boys. She's almost certainly one of the popular girls, and in social situations will try to distance herself from her family. She hates her younger siblings for being annoying, and will usually barricade herself in her room in her spare time. She's more into purple than pink. She'll often be vain and self-absorbed, but when the going gets tough she'll show that she really does care. No matter how long the work goes on, she never seems to leave high school. If it's a teen series, she'll already have a job, though if she's living at home it'll just be a part-time retail job at a shop, cafe/restaurant or cinema or similar. She'll probably have long, straight hair.
Older sibling - male: One of the more variable members. He's usually either the ideal man or a some weirdo manchild. In the former case, he'll almost always be attractive, probably sporty, and surrounded by cool friends. In the latter case, he's a misfit with misfit friends, is probably unkempt at best, and into the arts (particularly music) and possibly a G-Rated Stoner. His reliability and approachability are inversely proportional depending on the type.
'Neutral' sibling - female: A female character around the target audience's age, although she may be younger. She will almost always be the smart one. She'll have a towering intellect, often with sarcasm or cynicism to match, and be fond of correcting people. If anyone's going to have a Soapbox Sadie moment, it's her - she knows enough about the world to be aware of [insert hot-button issue], but not so self-absorbed as to not care. She will be perfectionist, neurotic, and hypercompetitive. She's more likely to have quirky hair like curls or tied-up hair than older girls, but her fashion oscillates between smart-but-boring and Rummage Sale Reject.
'Neutral' sibling - male: A male character around the target audience's age, though he's more likely to be older if it's close. He's almost certainly between 10 and 15. He'll probably be a class clown, troublemaker type, pulling pranks and winding people up. He'll generally be portrayed as a weird combination of cool and dorky. He'll wear t-shirts and cool fashions for his age, or at least inoffensive ones, and will generally have short but styled hair. His hobbies will often be watching TV, reading comics, maybe superheroes if he's younger, and often some kind of 'bad' hobby that's ultimately harmless like skateboarding or graffiti (don't expect him to do worse than write 'butt' on things though). But he won't be on a sports team (it gives him more time for wacky hijinx), he'll probably be disproportionately small and noodlish compared to the more popular boys his age, and will probably be picked on as a dweeb, regardless of how nerdy he actually is. His friends are more varied, but will generally be social outcasts - he will have at least one geek friend with unflattering fashion and glasses. He'll be truly chaotic neutral, but is also most likely to stand up for his family if pushed. He'll be associated with red or blue.
The baby: The baby can be either gender, and despite the name could be anywhere up to 5. Like the older sister, the baby will never grow up and mature. Up the the age of about 2 the baby's gender is completely superficial, but they'll probably be female unless there isn't another male child. After that, toddlers will be one of two flavours - a boy who's really into cars or dinosaurs, or a girl who's really into fairies and princesses. They'll generally be lost in their own little world when someone wants to interact with them. That said, they'll often be hypercompetent, be it through skill or apparent dumb luck. Super-intelligent babies that can talk are not uncommon in comedic works, in which case they'll be even more the smartass than the younger sister.
Pets: There will probably be a dog, and possibly a cat. Who likes what will be very gender-coded. There might be a rodent or rabbit, but they'll be exclusive to younger children (especially girls). Fish might exist, but they're more set-dressing than companions.
BONUS - Grandparent: Curmudgeonly, sleeps a lot, barely more than set-dressing. Will shout something funny every now and then. Grandmothers are more likely to be sassy, grandfathers bitter or confused. There'll only be one, and they're more likely to be the mother's parent than the father's. Weirdly, they'll seem MUCH older than the parents, who in turn can often seem too young for their oldest child.
Overall, there will rarely be more than three children, and if there are three then expect one to be wildly divergent in age like the above trope.
(I get that the Simpsons codified a lot of these, but I see it a LOT in British and foreign media, especially older works)
Edited by Magpiesapocalypse