There's a lot to look forward to on Disney Channel's upcoming That's So Raven spin-off Raven's Home, but one thing you might not expect is the way it celebrates modern parenting. Divorce and single parenthood are very common in the United States, but not all sitcoms reflect that reality. According to star Anneliese van der Pol's interview with TVLine, however, Raven's Home is celebrating single moms — which is something she's super proud of.
Raven-Symoné and van der Pol are reprising their roles as BFFs Raven and Chelsea, respectively — only this time, they're two single parents dealing with raising their children under the same roof.
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Van der Pol told TVLine that she was happy that the new series showcased the challenges and triumphs of raising kids without a romantic partner.
"“[Divorce] is very much a part of the show, and I could not be more proud to be a part of that," van der Pol told TVLine. "We talk heavily about the characters’ exes, and we’ve talked about possibly doing a show regarding Chelsea’s last name. In the episode we’re shooting this week, Raven is a little down on herself as a single mother. She feels alone and trapped, and Chelsea kind of has to bring her back to the surface. They’re doing this as two divorced moms, and how great is that? We’re representing single moms all over the world, and I think that’s great."
Raven's Home may have the nostalgia factor going for it, but van der Pol's comments make it clear the show wants to reflect many modern families. Not everyone's family support system looks the same, and not every mother has a romantic partner to help her co-parent. It's also refreshing that the series won't only show how divorce changes the family dynamic, but how it can bring on different issues for the person going through the breakup — like, say, attempting to figure out whether you should go back to your maiden name.
However, van der Pool stressed to TVLine that while the issues may have changed, Chelsea and Raven are very much the same people.
"I really don’t think the characters have changed very much, except that they’re now adults and mothers." she told TVLine.
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Here's hoping that, in addition to representing single moms, these two continue with the shenanigans.