Life Lessons From ‘Little House on the Prairie’

“Little House in the Prairie” recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. MovieStillsDB

When I was 4 years old, my parents took me on a short trip to see the “Little House on the Prairie” pageant in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, one of the many towns that Laura Ingalls Wilder lived in during her rather nomadic life across America’s Midwestern states. My parents had a great time psyching me up during the road trip to Walnut Grove, humming the theme song of the hit TV program focusing on the Ingalls family, of which I was a huge fan—even though the show was in reruns by that time!

That TV show recently hit a big milestone in turning 50. To celebrate, cast members and fans gathered for a big reunion in California, where the show was filmed. Three of those cast members were Melissa Gilbert, Karen Grassle, and Alison Arngrim, who played Laura, Ma, and Nellie Oleson, respectively.

Actress Melissa Gilbert signs autographs for fans during the "Little House on the Prairie" 50th anniversary cast reunion and festival in Simi Valley, Calif., March 23, 2024. VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images

The three spoke to “Good Morning America” before the celebration, expressing surprise about the show’s perpetual popularity but also offering theories on its staying power.

“People are finding values, comfort, and a message that they long for [in the show],” Ms. Grassle said. “And I think, you know, it’s just simple human decency.”

Her comment gets to the heart of the matter—namely, that America is going through hard times and people are looking for hope, encouragement, and values to get through those times. But even while some turn to the TV version of “Little House on the Prairie” to find those values and lessons, some even better ones can be found in the books penned by the original Laura. Here are a handful that have remained in my memory for years:

Savoring the Little Things

If anyone knew how to appreciate the small things in life, it was the Ingalls girls, especially at Christmastime. The Christmas they spent by Plum Creek saw them receiving ridiculously small and ordinary gifts—a tin cup, a penny, and a sugared cake—as if they were the crown jewels. Several years down the road, the family went through a long, constant, and arduous winter that almost starved them. Because resources were scarce and Christmas presents almost nonexistent, they waited to read some children’s magazines sent by a friend until Christmas Day, savoring one story at a time in the days that followed.

Why don’t we enjoy the little things in life? A major reason is because we live in an age of instant gratification. We want it, we get it—whether it’s food, entertainment, or otherwise.

The way to work around this is to begin denying ourselves in various ways. Waiting to eat until we’re hungry or making ourselves do a chore or two before sitting down to engage in a hobby are just a few ways to practice denial. Doing so makes the delayed reward that much sweeter.

Perseverance in Suffering

That same long winter mentioned above gave the Ingalls family many opportunities to learn perseverance. Practically snowed in until May and unable to replenish supplies, the family survived by grinding their dwindling wheat in a coffee grinder to make coarse bread while twisting straw into sticks to burn for fuel. Sluggishness from the cold and starvation circumstances set in, but Pa, Ma, and Laura refused to give in to it. Instead, they did their best to stay cheerful, diligently doing the monotonous without complaining, in order to rally their family and help them press on until the end of their ordeal.

Postmodern Americans certainly aren’t on the edge of real starvation, but present circumstances definitely have a way of turning each of us into a Gloomy Gus quite easily! Don’t let that happen. Take each day as it comes, purposefully noting the good things that come your way, no matter how small they are. Expressing gratitude for what you have, rather than moaning about what is wrong with the world, can cheer up even the most discouraged among us.

Valuing Education

Many today seem to take education for granted, studying as little as possible to get by with a passing grade.

Not Laura. She studied doggedly, dissatisfied with anything less than a perfect score.

And her hard work paid off. At age 15, she took part in a school exhibition, perfectly doing mental arithmetic with six digits, answering geography questions, and verbally parsing lengthy sentences—all in front of a packed schoolhouse. She then went on to give a verbal recitation of American history from Christopher Columbus to the settling of Kansas. This same recitation helped her gain her teaching certificate before she even reached the minimum age for a teacher.

Today’s schools don’t have the high expectations that those in Laura’s time had, but that doesn’t mean we have to give into the dumbed-down mentality of our age. If you feel that your education was inferior, then do something about it! Start reading the classics—those you missed in school and those you didn’t—memorize poetry, analyze a few historical documents, or do some science experiments with your kids. Doing so will deepen your cultural literacy and understanding of the world—and may also spark an excitement for learning in the next generation.

Putting Family First

Earning her teaching license meant that Laura could fulfill her dream of contributing financially to her family. Her first teaching experience was a nightmare—mostly because of the deranged woman she boarded with—but she refused to quit, knowing that doing so would hurt her future teaching chances and hence her chance to contribute financially.

Her commitment to help her family remained as she was hired at other schools, and several instances show her generously putting her earnings toward their comfort and well-being rather than spending her hard-won cash solely on herself.

Can the same be said of us? Sure, many of us are likely diligent in business like Laura, but is that diligence expended for our families or at their expense? If it’s the latter, then perhaps we need to take a page out of Laura’s book, making sure our resources—not just wealth, but time as well—are shared with them.

Making Time for Fun

Laura’s diligence and determination sometimes made it hard for her to take a break, yet she and her family still occasionally made time for fun, both at home and in the community. Like everything else in their life, however, their fun was simple and made use of the resources they had at hand. When their South Dakota town organized evening gatherings, the entertainment included spelling bees, games of charades, and music provided by those with musical abilities. Church suppers, family reading nights, and popcorn made over the stove were also on the agenda.

In our world of entertainment overkill, such simple amusements likely seem trite. But that’s simply because our brains need some retraining. Try purposely stepping away from the streaming services and video games for a period of time. Gather your family and some friends and try some of these old-fashioned, simple pastimes. In all likelihood, you’ll find that their simplicity actually makes these activities novelties—novelties that bring amusement and laughter like you haven’t experienced in ages.