Charles, Carolyn, Mary, Laura, Carrie, Doc, Mr. Oleson, Nellie, Willy, Harriet, Miss Beadle, Mr. Edwards, Grace, Reverend, Mr. Hansen....The LHOP People
Our family is on a LHOP kick - Little House on the Prairie. We gather 3-4 times per week to watch an episode, or maybe two if we start early enough. The 10 seasons are on DVD, reasonably priced via Amazon. At $0.35 per episode, that's cheap entertainment. But not "cheap" entertainment, if you know what I mean. It's rich in morals, family values, lessons, fun, and humor. My older children ask every night if we are going to watch a LHOP. That tells you something. Nevertheless, I've discovered amazing parenting lessons from Charles Ingalls as I've watched this delightful series, and we're only in Season 2!
1. Laura or Mary always seem to have some kind of drama. Nellie is nasty mean, the new teacher picks on Laura, they use the church money to buy bottles of medicine instead of a Bible for the Reverend, the new boy doesn't like Laura, Mary is doing poorly in school and needs glasses...the list goes on and on. Through each crisis, Charles doesn't shrug it off or act like it doesn't matter. He stops what he's doing and truly listens. He gives hugs and encouragement. He is right there to do whatever it takes to make his girls feel better. He gets involved if he needs to, but lets them fight their own battles if he feels that's best.
2. Charles Ingalls is not afraid to make his girls tow the line. He expects them to do their chores and to do their best in school. If they have done something wrong, there is a consequence. However, he's not afraid to change his mind. Parents have that right - to change their mind if they have given an unfair punishment or threat. When the girls use the church money to try and double their money to get the Reverend a "better Bible", he doesn't let them pretend to be sick at home. He gets them out of bed and tells them they have to own up to what they've done. He's always looking for the opportunity to teach a lesson.
3. Charles spends time with his girls. He takes them on a camping trip, takes them on some of his trips to Mancato, plays with them at picnics, plays the violin for them at night, goes fishing with them, teaches them skills, talks to them while he's working, helps with their homework, and rope swings into the pond.
4. Pa Ingalls looks for opportunities that will help his girls grow and learn. He allows Mary to assist the seamstress and make her own money to buy Christmas presents, he lets Laura raise her own horse and then decide if she wants to sell it or not, he lets go of his pride and accepts money from the school board to allow Mary to travel to Minneapolis to participate in the state math exam, he gives them the chance to take care of the puppies that almost drowned in the river, and he allows Laura to become an expert fisherman to provide fish for the family.
5. Pa teaches by example. He is a friend to everyone. He looks for opportunities to serve and help, even when it's not convenient. He is loyal to his friends and the townspeople of Walnut Grove. However, he will not be taken advantage of. When Mrs. Oleson treats his family unfairly, he tells it to her. Yet, he is forgiving of Harriet and always gives her another chance. He has a delightful wit, and isn't so high and mighty that he won't laugh or make fun of once in a while. He's real and he's good. He keeps his promises and his word is true. His children see this in him and want to emulate that.
6. Charles treats his wife with love and respect, an equal partner in raising their family together. He cares about her opinion and expects the children to obey her and respect her. He wants her to be an individual, to have experiences of her own that make her better and help her to grow. He supports her in those things (like teaching school when Miss Beadles gets injured in the buggy accident) and is excited for her success. They work together as a team in raising the children and supporting the family.
7. Pa isn't afraid of work, nor teaching his girls to do the same. They each have tasks that they must complete before "fun" ensues. He takes his job of providing very seriously and even leaves home for a while to work at a granite mine to make a living for his family. He takes on extra jobs to make ends meet. When they finally pay off their debts, he says they will pay cash only, no debt. Each member of the family worked to provide for the family. Because of his example, his children gained a strong work ethic and a desire to do their part.
8. In a time where it was do or die, hard work was necessary to survive, life on the prairie was extreme and intense, self-reliance was the name of the game, reality was brutal, and all members of the family were needed to make it, Charles is still soft and loving. He has a love for his family that you can see in his eyes and in his smile and in his actions. He doesn't let the hard prairie life make him hard. Quite the opposite. The oppositions he face help him turn to his family and love them even more.
If I could pick any movie series to help mold my family, this is it. It references and teaches faith in God, true Christian morals, responsibility in the family, a strong work ethic, love of family and friends, good works and charity, consequences (good or bad), delayed gratification (not instant like modern times), and a stick-to-it concept in all aspects of life. These are true principles that are seldom displayed in the entertainment industry. Thanks to Michael Landon (Charles Ingalls) and a host of others, they've left a beautiful legacy for families to enjoy and learn from. Thanks, Charles. You really do stick-to-it!
More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!
