Was Ann Romano a good mother?

[TMC]

She gets a lot of flack or being selfish and self-absorbed, but she raised two decent, well-adjusted girls. Both found stable men to marry.

She also took Alex in when his mother was too busy to take care of him.

[hch]

In the context of 1970s television, Ann Romano (played by Bonnie Franklin in One Day at a Time) is widely viewed as a groundbreaking and resilient mother, though her parenting style remains a subject of debate among fans.

The argument for her being a "good" mother often centers on her unwavering commitment to her daughters' independence—a quality she felt she lacked in her own youth.

Arguments for Ann as a "Good" Mother
Encouraging Independence
Ann’s primary goal was to raise Julie and Barbara to be self-sufficient women who wouldn't have to depend on men for their identity.

Navigating Heavy Issues
She dealt with significant real-world challenges, including runaways, substance use, and the struggle of balancing a career with single parenthood.

Expanding Her Family
As you noted, she took in Alex Handris (played by Glenn Scarpelli) when his mother was unable to care for him, demonstrating a nurturing capacity that extended beyond her biological children.

Emotional Resilience
Despite the "flack" she receives for being high-strung, she is often described as a "life force" who fought "tooth and nail" to keep her family together.

Criticisms and "Self-Absorbed" Reputation
Controlling Nature:
Some viewers found her character to be overly frantic and controlling.

Constant Conflict
The show’s "bread and butter" was the intense, often antagonistic battles between Ann and her rebellious older daughter, Julie.

Focus on Personal Growth
Because the show was a pioneer of the feminist movement on TV, Ann spent a lot of time on her own self-discovery—returning to her maiden name and building a career from scratch—which some interpreted as self-absorption.

Ultimately, the fact that both Julie and Barbara grew into functional adults who formed stable marriages is often cited by fans as the final proof of her success as a parent. For many, she wasn't a "perfect" mother but a realistic "everywoman" doing her best under difficult circumstances.