Many classic sitcoms center around family. That's because, for most of us, family is a very relatable concept. We might not all have served in Korea or been stranded on some remote island, but we can identify with the problems that plague a household. So, while there are exceptions, there are even more examples of great shows that focus on family. There's The Andy Griffith Show, The Brady Bunch, Leave It to Beaver, Good Times, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and countless others.

Among the ranks of the greatest family-focused sitcoms is Everybody Loves Raymond. From its first episode, aired way back in 1996, Raymond was a show about a dad, who was, of course, also a husband, a son, and a brother. A majority of the show's stories came from those roles and the conflicts they naturally create.

It's no surprise, then, that Everybody Loves Raymond wasn't just familial onscreen. Behind the scenes, family was just as important.

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In Raymond matriarch Doris Roberts' 2003 autobiography, Are You Hungry, Dear?, she explains how everybody on the show's set felt like family. The writers drew from their own experiences, of course, but it turns out the show was a real haven for the cast's kids as well.

"Since I have been spending four days a week every week for seven years with a group of people who all are pretty good at pretending to be a family, it's no wonder that it has begun to feel as though I really am the mother of the cast of Everybody Loves Raymond."

Roberts had already made a career out of being an onscreen mother. However, Everybody Loves Raymond brought her into America's living rooms week after week. After hundreds of episodes, it's no surprise that she felt like an expert on all things family.

"The home-like atmosphere of the set is part of what reinforces my maternal instincts. The set of Everybody Loves Raymond is a family-friendly place where the cast is permitted to bring their children. I know the many children of all my colleagues quite well. When we're on a show, it's not unusual to see one of Ray's four kids sitting tall in the big director's chair observing his daddy at work."

In addition to the kids who were brought to the set, there were also the kids who were stars of the show. The fictional Ray Barone had three children with his wife, Debra, and they were played by real-life siblings Madylin, Sullivan, and Sawyer Sweeten.  Those kids were provided a playroom and a schoolroom to ensure that their time on the show was as fun as it was educational. 

"I never know whose children might be among the toys and games," Roberts wrote. "During a break in filming, the kids have the free run of the set and all of us feel responsible for their welfare, something that makes the set a very loving place."