Was Hal's lenient parenting style more harmful or helpful to his sons?

Hal's Worst Parenting Decisions poll options

Hal's Worst Parenting Decisions

Malcolm in the Middle

Malcolm in the Middle

• Harmful—he let them get away with too much
• Helpful—he encouraged their independence
• Mixed—some decisions worked, others didn't
• Irrelevant—Lois was the real parent anyway