Roland was a great dad to Sofia…and kind of a horrible one to James and Amber.
He obviously loved and cared for them, and I get that we are seeing him primarily from the POV of Sofia (the main character), but he still could have stood to be a little more involved in the lives of his biological children.
For example, I don’t think he did a very good job of preparing them for the big family shift that occurred when he married Miranda. He just tells them “look out for your new sister and make her feel welcome” without giving any consideration to how the change is effecting them.
Amber definitely was not nice in the pilot movie, but she also was NOT subtle about struggling with the change and the feeling that she was being replaced. Roland (or even Miranda) could have and should have done more to ensure she understood she wasn’t being replaced. She was like 8 in the pilot. It says something that Sofia offered Amber her hand to join the dance BEFORE her own dad did!
Also, in the episode that introduced Aunt Tilly…you can see EXACTLY why his kids wouldn’t like her. She literally called Amber a “funny looking baby” and Roland wants to scold THEM for wanting to leave…no, tell your sister to be nicer to your daughter! I get that she was just teasing, but like, I still don’t blame James and Amber for not liking her or wanting to hang around.
One of his worst crimes was in “Mom’s the Word” where he did nothing to warn Sofia that James and Amber will probably also want to spend time with Miranda today, because she’s their mother now too. I hated Sofia in that episode, but that was something that should have been on HIM to explain. Miranda maybe could have also given her prior warning, but at least she clearly and repeatedly insists on their inclusion throughout the episode…Roland doesn’t even care.
