At least based on the pilot episode. The episode begins with the insinuation that Frank left his underage kids alone by themselves (without much adequate food left in the kitchen) so that he could go off on his week long vacation in Jamaica.

When we get around to Carol and her own kids and house, Frank apparently lets it slip that he really only went to Jamaica after talking to Carol's travel agent to find out where she was going. Just on the surface, doesn't that sound like Frank was essentially stalking Carol?

When Carol tells Frank that she wants a divorce after only knowing each other for like a week while on vacation, Frank says they can just date and introduce the kids to each other and then after the appropriate amount of time they can reveal the marriage. Isn't what Frank did to Carol what I just described him doing, in effect, gas-lighting her to stay together?

Eventually of course, when Frank introduces Carol to his kids, his eldest son JT calls Carol a bimbo and accuses the two of dating. Frank then says she isn't a bimbo and they aren't dating, they're married.

The next day, Frank uproots his children's lives to move into the home of a woman he barely knew.

Considering what goes on in the news these days where children are concerned, to me, both Carol and Frank could've been worse.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

P.S. I believe that J.T. and Dana are high school sophomores when the show begins and so in my opinion, they were old enough to be in charge of their siblings while their parents were gone. Dana is old enough for a driver license in the first season because that is when we see her get it.

Considering what goes on in the news these days where children are concerned, to me, both Carol and Frank could've been worse.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

P.S. I believe that J.T. and Dana are high school sophomores when the show begins and so in my opinion, they were old enough to be in charge of their siblings while their parents were gone. Dana is old enough for a driver license in the first season because that is when we see her get it.

What TV Tropes has to say about the matter under the section "Your Mileage May Very" (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/YMMV/StepByStep):
Values Dissonance: (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ValuesDissonance) The entire premise of this series happened because (https://web.archive.org/web/20140407132425/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/3122618-step-by-step/page-2#entry4277133) Frank followed Carol all the way to Jamaica and charmed her into a shotgun marriage (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StalkerWithACrush), something which he outright confesses to her when Carol starts having second thoughts. In 1991: This is portrayed is a genuine romantic gesture that reaffirms Carol's commitment to the marriage, even going as far as agreeing to stage a normal relationship to cover up Frank's actions! In 2021: Such actions would not only result in Carol divorcing Frank, but also would have landed him a restraining order, jail time, and losing the custody of his children; making for a very different show than the one we got.