Mothers come in all sizes and shapes, with varying strengths and weaknesses, and nothing has shown the variety of approaches to motherhood quite like those portrayed on television shows.
I recently watched reruns of the 1960s western, “Bonanza” and realized that the main character, Ben Cartwright, was probably one of TV’s first “Mr. Moms.” Ben was a rugged rancher, a widower, and a gentleman. He ran the outside of his home with a firm hand, and the inside with a gentle touch, much like I think many of the career moms of today do. Thinking of Ben also got me thinking about some of the other TV moms and the messages they send.
Remember pioneer Caroline Ingalls from “Little House on the Prairie?” She and her husband, Charles, packed up their wagon, left family and friends, and sought a new place to live so that their children could have a better life. She helped plow the fields, tend the farm, and raise seven children, some “chosen from her heart” along life’s journey. And, she did all this while making a home out of a tiny, rustic house.
Then, of course, we had the “Waltons.” Liv, who very well might have been the first TV “sandwich generation” mom kept her husband, children, and in-laws happy, healthy, and secure through the trying times of the Great Depression — all under one roof!
Let’s not forget “Julia.” Diahann Carroll portrayed one of TV’s first single moms — a beautiful career woman, who had to raise her young son on her own after being widowed. Unbeknownst to the writers, she was an inspiration for all of the single parents that would follow.
And “Eight is Enough” taught us that a stepmother can indeed become a “mom.” We learned that it takes heart and soul, patience, endurance, and most of all, love and laughter to make a house a home.
Maybe our idea of a perfect mom would include a blend of a bit of magic from Samantha of “Bewitched”; a little zaniness from Lucy, of “I Love Lucy”; a bit of prim and properness from “Leave it to Beaver” mom June Cleaver; the legal mind of Clair Huxtable of “The Cosby Show”; the tenderness of Mrs. Cunningham from “Happy Days”; Alice’s (“The Brady Bunch”) housekeeping abilities; first-aid knowledge from “Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman;” and let’s not forget the financial independence of an Angela Bauer from “Who’s the Boss?”
Of course, the sit-coms and dramas on television are fiction, but over the years, the medium has given us examples of many kinds of approaches to motherhood. The moms are all different from each other, and from most people in real life, but they all love their families, try to make sure things run smoothly, and serve as a positive example for their children, much like today’s real life mothers. We all have our strengths.
And we all have days when we feel that we are not living up to the task and are a bit overwhelmed, but on those days, we should pause and be inspired by the perseverance and successes of our favorite TV moms.
