On September 11, 1974, NBC premiered “Little House on the Prairie®,” the TV adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s infamous book series, The Little House. At that time, there were only three TV networks: NBC, CBS and ABC, and therefore much of America tuned in each week to watch the Ingalls family’s westward pioneer journey in their covered wagon, and their settlement in the small town of Walnut Grove, Minnesota.
As a child, teenager, young adult, and now a parent of two kids ages 11 and 7, I absolutely love Little House on the Prairie (LHOTP). A couple of years ago, we started buying individual seasons on Amazon Prime Video and have been watching the streaming show together as a family; we are now on season seven. Recently, Amazon announced all nine season of the show were available in a streaming format—free for Prime Members!
You might wonder, “How is a 1970s show about an 1800s pioneer family interesting, relevant and beneficial today in 2019?” For many of us, it’s about nostalgia—especially when hearing that infamous introductory string orchestra music and seeing the video clip of Pa and Ma Ingalls sitting up front in their wagon while Mary, Laura and Carrie enthusiastically run down the grass-covered hill.
It’s about the iconic Ingalls family, Walnut Grove and an unforgettable cast of characters such as the nasty Nellie Oleson (and her ridiculous mother Harriet Oleson) and so many other characters introduced over the nine years of the show (some existed in real life, others were fictional characters created for the show).
For those too young to have a nostalgic attachment to the show—or perhaps you’ve never seen the show—here’s what makes it worthwhile to watch as a family:
Family Bonding Time
When I announce, “It’s time for Little House on the Prairie,” everyone typically cheers (unless they are disappointed because they were really in the mood for an Avengers movie). It’s so fun to watch our kids gasp and giggle as they watch the show. It’s fun making our side remarks about Mrs. Oelson and her nasty daughter, Nellie. I love to watch our kids get engrossed in story lines .
Lifestyle Differences—2019 vs. the Late 1800s
Given our heavy reliance on technology and modern conveniences in 2019, it’s fascinating to get a peek at a very different way of life than our own. When the series started out, none of the characters had a telephone, electricity or indoor plumbing (that changes later in the series). There were obviously no cars, no computers, no video games, etc. Long distance communication was done via postal carrier and letters took weeks to reach their intended recipients. Most families grew their own food, and the mother made the family’s modest clothing herself. Walnut Grove had one store, the “Oleson’s Mercantile,” and the town’s one-room schoolhouse doubled as the church on Sundays.
Everybody Worked Hard Back in the Day
One thing is for certain about the pioneer lifestyle and prairie living: it was a hard life, and everybody worked hard and contributed—men, women and children. In LHOTP, when kids get home from school the immediately do chores like cleaning out the stable or the chicken coop. Homework is done (by candlelight)—no excuses.
Pa Ingalls was easily the hardest working man you’d ever meet. Ma Ingalls worked hard as a pioneer wife and mother, but also had to step in and help build a house in the pilot episode, and had to work the field to save the wheat after Pa was badly hurt and couldn’t work (the community eventually stepped up to help). Ma was a strong, tough and resilient woman, while being a kind, compassionate, and loving mother.
Tremendous Sense of Community
In so many episodes of LHOTP, there are examples of a sense of community, and neighbor-helping-neighbor. Walnut Grove is truly a town where everybody knew everybody… unlike our lives today where we might not even know our next door neighbor’s name. It’s amazing to watch people come together to help a neighbor who is struggling in some way.
In the very final episode of the series, entitled The Last Farewell which aired on May 10, 1982 after 9 seasons, the citizens of Walnut Grove come together when a railroad tycoon holds a deed to the town and wants to take it over for his own financial gain. Each homeowner/business owner in town takes a stick of dynamite and blows up his respective structure (with the exception of the Ingalls house and the church) in a series finale that surely makes every LHOTP fan cry. The townspeople came together in unity so that this man couldn’t take the town from them.
Addressing Difficult and Uncomfortable Topics
Over nine seasons, LHOTP has incorporated difficult topics such as marital problems, blindness, racism, alcoholism, domestic abuse, child neglect & abuse, physical disabilities, drug abuse, terminal illness, death, and rape (to name a few). The “N Word” was used on occasion throughout the series (which is unfortunate, but remember this show was filmed in the 1970s, and depicts situations that took place in the 1870s-80s). We used those particular episodes as a teachable moment with our children, and let them know it’s not a word we use in our family—ever.
Although I’d generally categorize LHOTP as a “wholesome” show, I urge parents to be mindful of what each episode will entail. For example, my son read aloud the description of our next episode, “’Albert falls in love with a 14-year-old girl who lives in a world of fear after being attacked by a rapist.’ Mommy, what’s a rapist?” We are simply not ready to explain rape to our 11 and 7 year old children, so we skipped that two-part episode.
Great Discussions Afterwards
After watching an episode, we usually ask our kids, “What did we learn in that episode?” Frequently, the big lesson is about kindness, or honesty, or helping people… all virtues we constantly work to instill in our kids. We like to put our kids into the scenario. For example, “How would you feel if Nelly did that to you? How would you handle the situation?” Our kids also have an opportunity to ask any questions to help them better understand the episode, or even just to satisfy their own curiosity about something that happened. If the show features any of the difficult topics mentioned above, we make sure to intentionally discuss them with our children afterwards.
Christian Themes
As a Christian family ourselves, we love that Christian themes run throughout the series—but not in an over-the-top way. The Ingalls family is devout Christian family, as are many of the main characters and the townspeople. The family attends church every Sunday, and the audience frequently gets a glimpse of the Sunday sermon and hymns. The Ingalls family prays together, reads their Bible, and speaks of God and their blessings regularly.
Visit Little House on the Prairie Again, or Stop by for the First Time!
By today’s entertainment standards, Little House on the Prairie may seem slow and simple, but that’s a good thing! It’s a wonderful thing to give our kids—and ourselves—a break from fast-paced video games, social media, movies, TV shows, etc. And, of course, if you’d like to go down the literary path, you can introduce your children to the wonderful Little House book series. Check out the books at your local library, or see if your library system uses the Hoopla app (available on iTunes and Google Play). Hoopla is an amazing app that gives the user access to digital books, audio books, movies, TV shows, and music … for FREE.
