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Laura Ingalls postMy sister-in-law poked fun at my most recent t-shirt idea, “What Would Laura Do?” (As in Laura Ingalls Wilder of Little House fame.) “Um … Jodi, I’m pretty sure girls these days have moved on to some other things.”

But dust off your old LHOTPs and take your girl on your favorite childhood wagon ride for these reasons:

1. Great. Discussion. Starters. These books touch on all the biggies: confidence, discipline, perseverance, girls’ education, exploitation–you name it!

2. Ultimate DIY-er. Laura takes scraps of blue silk to line her sister’s Christmas coat, and she twists hay logs alongside Pa when the winter wood runs out.

3. Tough Girl. If you ride the wagon long enough, you’ll see Laura stick it to Almanzo when he slips his arm around her a little too soon. Ha!

Be ready for: Insensitive treatment of Native Americans. This is a biggie. Some school districts have understandably banned LHOTP due to ignorant portrayals of Native peoples during this time period. Use this as a discussion point, and revisit it FREQUENTLY as you journey with the Ingalls family.

What’s your most memorable LHOTP experience?

2 Comments

  • Ali says:

    I love the Little House on the Prairie novels and I feel a lot of what life is all about has been lost in this fast paced, take away world that we live in.

    It all boils down to good family values, kindness and a great work ethic.

    I always loved how grateful they were, just for the smallest thing – store bought candy, a rag doll made from a corn cob, Pa’s fiddle and Ma’s soft spoken ways.

    Life lessons for all in these books.

  • Ahnie Litecky says:

    I also loved reading all the Little House on the Prairie books as a child. Laura had such a brave and adventurous life.
    I can’t wait to revisit the books with my kids in a few years and talk about the discussion points you mentioned Jodi. Great post!