WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:01:00.000
You've probably heard that Little House on the Prairie is too slow for today's kids, that they'll never sit through a show from the 1970s. But what if that slower pace is actually what your kids need right now? What if a show about pioneer life could help them focus for longer than three minutes and give you something real to talk about together. I haven't watched it myself, so today I'm doing something different. I brought in Ashton from Miracles in the Madness. Someone who grew up with this show and whose relationship with her mom was actually shaped by it. You're going to hear why they both cried watching it together and why that moment mattered. You'll hear what age works best to start, how the show handles really tough topics like racism and abuse without going overboard, and why that 90 minute pilot episode is actually worth sitting through. Welcome to Wholesome TV Picks. The only podcast where every

00:01:00.001 --> 00:02:00.000
recommendation comes from 35 plus years of watching wholesome TV your family can actually trust. If you want clean, uplifting content for family movie night without the 45 minutes of scrolling through Netflix. I'm here to help. So let's get into it. Welcome, Ashton. Thank you for joining me today. Thanks for having me, Jennifer. I am so excited to be here to chat with you about this today. Thank you. Can you give a brief overview of what Little House on the Prairie is about and what makes it a great show for viewers? Sure, so if you're kind of a nerd like me, and there is a book about a movie or a TV show, this is definitely one of those opportunities to read the book first, if you like that. It's based off of this stories compiled in Laura Ingalls Wilder's series of books based on Little House in the Big Woods, I think. Yes. It is a show from, the seventies, eighties. Personally, I think you could watch this show at any age. I probably

00:02:00.001 --> 00:03:00.000
started watching this show when I was four or five. I think the storytelling is so rich that a six or 7-year-old shouldn't have any problem following along. And you get to spend 10 years with them if you watch every season. I will admit it's a little slow when you get started because it's, it's got a lot of characters. It's got a lot of buildup to establish the story and, get you to really buy into the characters. Back in the day, a pilot episode often would be like movie length because it was setting up the scene and then the characters and et cetera, et cetera. The first episode is like an hour and a half long. So I think that's another thing that parents might wanna think about is a, I think kids these days especially are used to shorter bursts of attention span. And so this show will require a little bit longer of attention spans, which, I think is really positive. In today's television and screen watching is, your kids aren't having to

00:03:00.001 --> 00:04:00.000
like stay focused on it for a while. So Little House will definitely be a big difference from from that. What memories do you have sharing this with your mom? Like, did you guys have conversations? What did you learn together from watching this show? There were so many times that I remember my mom and I just sitting there, you know, she was watching it for the second time, but she started crying at certain scenes and I would be crying at some scenes as a kid relating with Laura, uh, what she was going through and things like that. And so it just, it absolutely opened up conversations for me and my mom. But it also gave us something to do together that we wanted to do together. My mom really likes television. So for us to find something that at a pretty young age that I was able to dive into with my mom and it be as exciting for me the first time I'm watching it as maybe it was for her really like built this bond and connection there. Have you watched this show with your own children? Not so

00:04:00.001 --> 00:05:00.000
much yet. My children are five and under and my oldest is a boy. While I think there's plenty that he will get excited about I don't know that he's quite, old enough yet. What he has watched in passing, when I kind of have it on, he, it mostly just makes him curious. Because the things that the show even just shows, it's so far removed from like what life is like today that it makes him ask questions like, why doesn't he just have a tractor to plow the field mom? You know, things like that. Do you think it's best to watch it from season one or can anybody jump in from any point? You almost have to start at season one to really buy into the characters in the story. 'Cause it's all, it's so much about telling you where they're coming from. I believe the show kicks off in season one, where Laura's probably about four or five. And so, starting it at that age, for me, especially as a girl, I really just like felt this connection to Laura. And

00:05:00.001 --> 00:06:00.000
so I think if your child is in that age range, especially if she's a little girl, it may really build this like with this character that, you know. If she's feeling your feeling and she, she understands what you're going through, because even though she didn't have phones and technology and all of the same things that we have today, she's dealing with the same she's dealing with the same feeling like she doesn't measure up to her older sister, she's going through similar things that your kids are gonna be going through. So it's kind of a, great opportunity for them to grow up with Laura. There are some episodes that are a little bit more, they address heavier topics. What kind of topics does the show delve into that is more heavier than the norm? I remember episodes about drug addiction, about domestic abuse, about death, about house fires, bullying, loneliness, racism. It, I hits that several times, like,

00:06:00.001 --> 00:07:00.000
one of the things that I really love about it is that it's not afraid to touch on a heavier topic, but it does it in such a, beautiful way so that it's not too much. But it's enough to start a conversation. And it's more than just the happy go lucky everything ends happy all the time, kind of storylines. So I think today we really struggle because either we don't show anything or we show too much. And so it puts our kids in this middle ground where it's like, okay, so life is really black and white, but it's not. so for them. We're, if we're shielding them from this and they get to watch this, they start to grow up thinking that everything is good all the time. And then we put them in this position, well, okay, well now you're old enough to maybe understand these concepts, but it's so much that when they see it, they're like, wow, life is so not what I thought it was. And it sets them up for this, this. I dunno, heartbreak

00:07:00.001 --> 00:08:00.000
or not real idea of what life is like. And I think Little House like finds that gray, right? But as I mentioned earlier, some of the concepts, while they're old enough to maybe understand what's happening, the concepts might be just a little mature. So it's heavy. You may may have to have a conversation with them before, after, or during, but it's not so heavy that it feels like we shouldn't let them watch it. So I think back to the age question, I think you have to know your kid and if you're not sure, definitely pre-screen and watch before you let them watch it too. I love it. The show does have depth and substance to it. I love that it deals on such heavy topics. I'm glad to hear that it does have that middle ground. A friend of mine said the same thing where a certain episode, she says her children aren't ready to watch yet, but she does plan on showing it to them at some time. What

00:08:00.001 --> 00:09:00.000
value do you think this show would have for families today that have never seen it before and are ready to invest in watching this? First of all, one thing that I love about the show is. There's no technology. They're excited about this old phone that doesn't even like a receiver, and, and so I think our kids often get so sucked into the screens, and social media and things like that that are so normal in today's television even that it, it still creates this degree of separation. One of the things that I think the show does a great job at is like putting an emphasis on family time and that value. I think it also really shows an emphasis on like the value of hard work and passion and love and connection. Like I said, it doesn't stray away from those tough topics, and it kind of, I think, really emphasizes how you can take

00:09:00.001 --> 00:10:00.000
that family connection, that love, that compassion and how if we had more of that in today's society, more of that connection, it would solve so many of these heavy topics that it does cover. So well spoken. Thank you so much for that. Quick note, if you're loving this conversation about shows that handle real life topics and want another family show with values, go back and check out episode 15 on The New Lassie from the late eighties, early nineties. Okay, back to Ashton. Do you think your mom wanted to watch it with you for the connection or was it something that your mom just loves so much that she just had to share it and pass it on to you? I don't know. I think it probably is a combination of all of those things. it definitely started something for my mom and I where now if one of us watches a show that we really love, we share it with each other. I think she really shared it with me because she, wanted to share this thing that meant so much to her growing up. Because I

00:10:00.001 --> 00:11:00.000
guarantee you, my mom really, really bonded with Laura in the same way that I felt this bond with Laura. And I think that's incredible because it transcends time. I was not living the same lifestyle, Laura was I had running water and plumbing and electricity, but I still got made fun of for my clothes, my family's lifestyle or whatever, you know, like. Kids still experience these things today. It's just maybe looks like a little different. Wow. Well, thanks for sharing such a personal story. So before we wrap up, please share a little bit about what your podcast is about. Miracles in the Madness is a podcast meant to encourage, support and uplift busy Christian mamas. I talk about everything from how to work through that rough day with your kids to, hey, here's a lesson I learned recently in my Bible that I think could apply to your life and, and help

00:11:00.001 --> 00:12:00.000
me out. And I'm coming at you as somebody who's going through it with you. And if you are at that phase in your parenting where you need a little extra encouragement, go check out Ashton's podcast. Next week, I'm covering a 1991 adventure set during the Alaskan Gold Rush with scenery that'll take your breath away. The kind of film your kids will remember years later. It's a story about what happens when a wild creature has to decide if humans are worth trusting. Based on a classic American novel, filmed on location with real animals back when Disney made great family movies. Don't miss it. Remember, your values matter and your TV should too. Until then, happy watching. Take care and I'll catch you next week.