So I just did like a little fluffy post about Bruce and raising teenagers but I wanna talk about that a little bit more.
So many fanfictions and I understand why this is.
Don't have the aspect that these are teenagers/young adults.
Comic themselves don't have this either.
But tell me you cannot picture Dick Grayson at 20 years old with his head stuck in Bruce's refrigerator bandages wrapped around his torso and all he's wearing is Nightwing themed boxers that were a gag gift from the Titans.
Bruce Wayne had to throw that boy in a shower at some point. You think he went in there willingly?
Dick Grayson was once 13 years old and firmly believed Axe body spray was the way of life.
Jason is a little bit more complicated because the way he grew up it would make sense if Bruce did have to take care of hygiene for him.
Bruce Wayne was not throwing him in a shower, but he probably did teach him how to shave. Would buy toiletries and stuff for him.
Alfred has a very interesting job in this household.
He makes the list for them in general and he goes to get it, but Bruce realistically still has to do stuff.
He would be the one remembering this is what dick likes or this is what Jason likes. Alfred's job is cater to Bruce. He has made that very clear in the comics so anything that is catering to the boys you kind of get the impression, Bruce himself is handling at first.
Bruce also kind of mention it usually more the vigilante side, but that's because these are comics talking about Batman shit.
Bruce remembers the things his children likes. We have examples in the comics.
Alfred is essentially the assistant to the boss.
But the boss still has to send him.
I find this very weird phenomenon in fanfictions that I think possibly stems from people who are writing them kind of don't understand how to run a household of that size. Or because the fanfiction isn't focused on it the logistics of life don't matter.
It's a very common thing you don't have a superhero going to the grocery store unless the story calls for it. Boring normal life stuff doesn't happen unless it's very specific to the story. When we're talking about domestic batfam it can be helpful to tell the story.
Weighted blankets have to be ordered.
Prescriptions and papers pertaining to children Alfred cannot sign off on Bruce has to.
Even when you're rich, Bruce can't send Alfred to do everything.
He in person has to sign adoption paperwork, if they're going to the doctors, Bruce has to be there.
School we see Bruce does things with.
However, after the boys have been at the manor for a while, Alfred probably is doing 90% of the stuff for them.
They are members of the household and he knows what they need.
Same thing with Cass.
Shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, a hairbrush, tampons, pads, birth control etc.
When she first gets there, Barbara or Bruce are taking care of that. Yes Alfred might be going to get it, but I guarantee you Bruce thought of it before Alfred did.
This is a part of where I say I feel like there's these really weird misunderstandings in fanfictions.
Alfred's very definition is the help but we know he follows Bruce. So Bruce at one point made the order of go get dick deodorant. Go get pads for Cass. Tim needs this weirdly specific poster on his wall. Go get it.
Suits, clothing, cars it doesn't just randomly appear Bruce and Alfred make it happen.
The reason I think this domestic aspect is so important when painting the picture of the Batfamily, subtle things give you way more than obvious love declarations.
Jason's room I feel like it's a really good aspect to have in fanfiction.
Even the cases with their old robin suits.
It shows that their presence is always there and people care.
Having a fridge and pantry stocked with all the things any of the children have ever wanted/liked and needed shows care.
Weapons, suits, cars, bikes, are great instances of Bruce knows what his kids need and gets it.
Favorite meals being prepared by Alfred.
Random clothes that clearly belong to another family member being on someone else.
Side rant of this rant.
It is very funny whenever I see a Tim Drake, who is complaining that no one likes him or no one cares about him. When the manor is stocked with his antibiotics, red Robin suit is freshly cleaned. His room does not have a speck of dust. Energy drinks that he likes are just in the fridge. People have used this in a subtle way that the family cares about him and I really love when that's done. Usually this just kind of happens and then we have the family going. We do care about you but not really having any examples. So they all work on it and love each other, blah blah blah blah. These domestic things are a great example.
Backup or showing up is an example.
For a family of detectives emotional constipation doesn't really matter with this.
People who are traumatized or trained to look for things exactly like this are going to see it.
DC comics does one of these things really good and do I think it's done on purpose, no.
Photographs of the family in Bruce's house or framed in his office something.
It's a subtle way to say he cares about these people.
Whoever took the picture doesn't really matter.
Bruce Wayne glancing at the picture smiling or being somewhere he can see it where only he can see it.
Paints the narrative of Bruce caring.
Discussion revolving around Bruce's parenting seem to have an undertone of he doesn't care.
As an individual who does enjoy critiquing Bruce Wayne, I find that a very incorrect take.
I do not think it is an issue of Bruce caring across all of these years of comics I do not think I have ever seen a Bruce (other than evil alternates) that doesn't care about these kids.
Bruce Wayne can't communicate. He doesn't know how to operate on a normal scale. His own code fucks him in the ass more than Superman ever could.
So we see him beating on Jason or doing this really fucked up shit to Jason of course it comes off as he doesn't care.
Jason is this huge mistake.
Honestly, the one thing I feel like DC actually understands about Dick and Jason as two boys raised by Bruce they do know he cares.
The actual question is, does he care in the way they need him to?
Jason wants proof not that he would kill the Joker, but that Bruce cares that joker took Jason from him.
Jason wants proof that the code doesn't matter more than him. Since to Jason, Bruce matters more than the code.
It's never actually about killing people.
Dick on the other hand knows Bruce cares their relationship is far more complicated because they care so much it fucks them.
Both are stuck in this never-ending cycle of expecting better from the other because they believe the other is so great.
Expectations so high God can't even touch them so of course, man falls short.
Tim and Bruce comic wise it's a very similar relationship to Dick.
Jack and Janet Drake, I feel like due to how the fandom interprets them, it's turned around into going so far right you end up wrong.
They were not these horrific monsters worse than anything David Cain could cook up.
Jack and Janet matter to Tim, but not in the same way Thomas and Martha matter to Bruce.
Since they weren't horrific monsters, people want to get away from fannon interpretation so they kind of make it as if Bruce would never matter as much as them. If that was really true, Tim would've never been Robin.
When Tim Drake is really low, they really matter, but also they had just died in the Red Robin comics. It was fresh.
Tim also said multiple times Bruce made him feel like he was a part of a family. Bruce treated him as a son, Tim treated him like a dad. Dick, Damian, even Jason are firmly Tim Drake's brothers currently. Last time I knew Cass was his sister.
Fake Uncle another example of either people aren't reading the comic or aren't understanding them. Tim did not hate the idea of being adopted. Dana had just died. A lot of people had just died. He was sad and upset and thought he needed to grow up,figure it out himself. The fake uncle storyline actually is the one that supports some of the fannon, Tim Drake shit the best. Great example of he felt he needed to prove himself so he did an absurd amount of crazy shit to do it. ( Also he didn't want to replace Jack but it had just happened)
If you're ever looking for great examples of Bruce being a good father or caring for his children, the most clean cut examples are when they are Robins. Simply put Tim and Dick are your best options.
Having the longest run time of really anyone you get a shit ton. Dick you also have quite a few examples of when he's hurt, injured Include other characters in that too.
Superman telling Dick, Bruce really cared about him.
Bruce told Superman that.
This circles back into my whole subtlety when it comes to emotions.
Clearly, everyone is chatting about it if it's being discussed later.
Alfred pennyworths is not telling Jason or Superman or someone the fuck else Dick Grayson is amazing.
First off when the fuck would Alfred have the time?
Second Alfred's opinion on Dick changes more than he changes jobs.
It all comes back to Bruce.
Everyone in the world can make arguments on whether or not Bruce Cannon wise is a good parent, but I do not think there was actually an argument for if he is a parent.
He cares and is in charge of these people doing the things parents do. 

