Ares: Olympic father of the year?

[Julia]

The scene where Frank takes on all those monsters to get a favor from Mars really touched me. Especially afterwards when Mars appeared to him to praise him.

It also made me think about Ares' interaction with Clarisse in Sea of Monsters. It occurs to me that Ares seems a little more involved with his kids than most of the other gods. He's kind of a jerk, but isn't a jerk father better than no father?

Zeus, Posiedon, Hades, Athena, Aphrodite and Hermes are all pretty hands-off parents until they need something. But Ares' involvement in his kids' lives (based on 2 examples) seems to be as much about helping them grow.

Just my impression. What do you think?

[Gayathri]

In HoH Mars/Ares was a very good father. When Frank wins a mega battle he came, ok fine all that happened. But in some books he has been very mean to Clarisse. Even to Frank, in tSoN when frank prayed to him he did not come.
Poseidon is the best father. Not because he is percy's dad, just generally. He is kind with a streak of anger.
Ares impresses his kids and is kind when he wants them.
Setting just 2 examples to your kids is not what makes them learn. It is a lifelong journey of experience.
According to me, Aphrodite has offered advice to Piper whenever she needed it.
It is a general trait of a god/goddess to be distant from his kids, be it anybody. It has been written and portrayed like that! :)

[Lauren]

I think they can all be good parents sometimes, but they can also be bad parents at times too. It's hard to know when to step back and let your kids go and when to step in. But what some gods do is borderline neglect.
But I can't imagine it's easy for them to keep up with every child they have. So sometimes, some get left behind. I do think they choose their favourites, and help those ones out more. Maybe because they believe those children deserve it more.
Regardless, it's not a good way to treat your kids. But I think it's the best they can do, since they're all a little messed up.

[Sydney]

Uh, no. Mars though, maybe...

[Makenna]

I think all the other Greek gods came to their kids when they needed something. Mars, or Ares, was a jerk but he cames to his kids to praise them.

You don't hear much about Athena, or any of the other Gods, praising their kids or just talking to them in general.

I think that all the Gods should talk to their kids, not leaving them in the dark or leaving them thinking that their "parents" don't care about them.

[Sydney]

Yeah, but, the big 'ol daddy and his big 'ol lightning bolts? Quite a threat i assure you to stay away from the kids. And, if they know the future, that can go totally wrong, or go perfectly right. Hey, big 'ol daddy Zeus just trying to keep Argus from crying right? I mean, would Argus want to see one of his campers die because of their mom/dad?

[Sydney]

And, trust me. You DO NOT want Argus crying. Quote:

"Yeah. The last time he cried, well, it caused quite a flood. So, we're trying to keep him happy and all."
-Thalia Grace, Titans Curse.

[Julia]

Makenna wrote: "I think all the other Greek gods came to their kids when they needed something. Mars, or Ares, was a jerk but he cames to his kids to praise them.

You don't hear much about Athena, or any of the ..."

That's what I'm saying. I know he was hard on Clarisse, but he was pushing her to be stronger and succeed - parents need to do that sometimes. And Clarisse seems to have the kind of personality that responds to that kind of push. Poseidon, by comparison, only seems to show up when Percy's done with the heavy lifting. Athena only shows up when she needs something from Annabeth. I guess Hades isn't so bad (I'm a little impressed with how hard he tried to protect Nico and Bianca). But he's still totally absent. His involvement with Nico is only because Nico doesn't give him any choice when he hangs out in the underworld so much.

Ares/Mars is nowhere near what I'd call a good parent. I'm just saying compared to the other gods, he's a little more involved. Over the long term being involved, even when you're being a jerk, is almost always better than being absent. My dad's a total ass, but I'm better for having him than I would be without a dad at all.

[Makenna]

Julia wrote: "even when you're being a jerk, is almost always better than being absent."

I agree. I would rather have a dad/parent who's a jerk than a parent who is never around unless they needed something.

[Julia]

Gayathri wrote: "Aphrodite has offered advice to Piper whenever she needed it."

That's right, I forgot. Aphrodite has been good to Piper.