Many series will have a mother who is meant to be seen as attractive. This may be referenced in the show by another character commenting on her "down-to-earth charm" or "earthy good looks". She is almost inevitably an Absurdly Youthful Mother and Hilarity Ensues as she is mistaken for her children's cute big sister. This trope has popped up more and more in American television, thanks largely to the Ugly Guy, Hot Wife craze that took off somewhere in the mid-90s. A housewife with two or three kids tends to end up looking like a 30-something version of a Maxim covergirl.