‘The Big Bang Theory’: Why Was Bernadette Really Reluctant to Have Children?
The Big Bang Theory was among one of the most successful television series of all time. For 12 seasons, fans became invested in the lives of Sheldon Cooper, Leonard Hofstadter, Raj Koothrappali, and Howard Wolowitz, as well as the ladies who eventually joined their group. There is one major plothole that fans can’t let go of, though—Bernadette Rostenkowski’s explanation for why she dislikes children changed during the series.
Bernadette claims she didn’t like children because her mother ran an illegal daycare
When Bernadette and Howard first discuss having children, she mentions that she doesn’t like children. The news is surprising to both fans and Howard alike. She goes on to explain her reasoning for wanting to be childfree. The story makes a lot of sense and left fans with more information about Bernadette’s upbringing than they ever had before.
Screen Rant notes that Howard’s love interest originally suggested that her hatred for children stemmed from a childhood spent caring for other kids. She told Howard that during her formative years, her mother ran an illegal daycare out of the family’s basement to make ends meet. According to the story, Bernadette was tasked with helping to keep the operation organized.
Later, she claims she was forced to babysit her brothers and sisters because her mother worked
Later in the series, Bernadette mentions that she isn’t open to the idea of children simply because she was forced to watch her younger brothers and sisters while her mother worked. While it is known that Bernadette has five brothers and sisters, they are never seen, and only one brother is named. Bernadette’s younger brother, Joey Rostenkowski is mentioned in Season 5, Episode 12, but is never mentioned again.
So, from what Bernadette says, her mother worked outside of the home and left all of the siblings under the care of Bernadette. If Bernadette was really the oldest of all of her siblings, fans theorize, at least one of them would have still been living at home when she met Howard. That, however, did not seem to be the case.
Fans want to know which was the real reason
Fans were quick to notice the inconsistency in Bernadette’s story. It seems implausible that her mother worked full-time and ran an illegal daycare in the family’s basement. The full-time job her mother had is never mentioned, although fans are aware that Bernadette’s father was a retired police officer. Simply put, the inconsistencies in Bernadette’s story is like just that, an inconsistency. Unfortunately for fans of televisions how conspiracy theories, there is likely not a more elaborate reason behind Bernadette’s two different stories.
Several popular shows have had significant inconsistencies in their storylines. Television shows ranging from Friends to Gilmore Girls have had serious plotholes in their storylines. For example, Friends fans have noticed that Rachel Green and Monica Geller’s apartment number makes absolutely no sense. Gilmore Girls fans point out that Lane Kim’s ability to buy tons of music without any money is a serious plot hole. Bernadette’s lack of interest in children and the reason for it isn’t even the only plothole in The Big Bang Theory.
