Recently someone asked me what I was reading and kind of scoffed when I said it was the sixth book in the Little House series, The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
“You mean the children’s books? For your own pleasure or for your kids?”
Fair question.
I do read aloud to my children — we’re currently on the fifth book, On the Shores of Silver Lake. Had it not been for them, I might never have picked up the series. But once I started, I couldn’t stop. I had to know what happened next. More than that, I was captivated by the way this pioneer family lived — their resilience, simplicity, and perspective.
Reading the Little House series as an adult has surprised me. These “children’s books” are filled with timeless lessons about gratitude, family culture, simple living, and attitude.
Here are some of the powerful lessons I’ve learned.
1. Don’t Take What You Have for Granted
In The Long Winter, Ma makes an “apple” pie out of green pumpkin. The family survives for weeks on sourdough bread made from freshly milled wheat when food supplies run dangerously low. They scrape by — barely.
And yet, they are content.
Meanwhile, I can buy fresh strawberries in winter. I always have the ingredients to bake muffins (which, if you think about it, is a lot of ingredients). Oranges? Anytime.
It’s astonishing when you pause to really think about it.
We can choose to complain about inconvenience — or we can look back at American pioneer history and realize how much abundance surrounds us. That doesn’t mean modern struggles aren’t real. Hardship is part of the human experience. But perspective changes everything.
2. The Little Things Are Actually the Big Things
Family evenings. Storytelling by the fire. Watching horses gallop across open prairie. Even the ordinary — like a family dinner — becomes meaningful.
The series continually reminds me that what matters most is small:
- Time together
- Shared meals
- Gratitude
- Beauty in everyday life
Simple moments are what build a meaningful life.
It reminds me of this quote by William Martin:
Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable, but it is the way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples and pears.
Show them how to cry when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.
That’s what the Ingalls family did. They made the ordinary come alive.
3. The Beauty of Simple Living
If you’re interested in slow living, homesteading, or simplifying your life, the Little House books offer powerful inspiration. (As does this blog- check out the blog posts here)
Entertainment was simple:
- Charades on Friday nights
- Pa playing the fiddle
- Doing a puzzle while the fire crackles
- Reading aloud together
- Stew and bread shared around the hearth
No endless scrolling. No background noise. Just presence.
Reading these books as an adult makes you realize just how simple life can be — and how much joy can be found there.
4. Creating a Strong Family Culture
One of the most convicting lessons for me came while reading Little Town on the Prairie.
I realized I sometimes resemble Mrs. Brewster — frustrated, weary, focused on the struggle instead of the opportunity.
The Brewster family quarreled constantly. They didn’t talk at dinner. Their home atmosphere reflected their attitude toward prairie life.
The Ingalls family, on the other hand, focused on hope. If they lived on the land for five years, it would be theirs — free and clear. That perspective shaped their family culture.
And it made me reflect on my own home.
By dinnertime, my husband and I are often exhausted. Our two young children chatter away while we nod along, half-zoned out. I long for meaningful family dinners — and sometimes I create them — but attitude plays a powerful role. (See this blog post for question prompts to share at dinner)
As Laura writes in These Happy Golden Years:
“Success gets to be a habit, like anything else a fellow keeps on doing.”
Maybe attitude does too.
Family culture isn’t built in grand gestures. It’s built in small, repeated responses to ordinary days.
5. Learning to Be Understanding
When Mary chooses not to come home after the family sacrifices to buy her a piano, they don’t respond with anger or resentment. They understand her season of life.
They recognize she won’t always be a young college girl with friends and opportunities. They accept her choice with grace.
That level of emotional maturity is something I deeply admire — and something I want to practice.
Why Adults Should Read the Little House Series
The Little House books aren’t just children’s historical fiction.
They are:
- Lessons in gratitude
- Studies in resilience
- Guides to simple living
- Reflections on family culture
- Windows into American pioneer history
Reading The Long Winter as an adult hits differently. The struggle is real. The hunger is real. The perseverance is real.
And it changes your perspective.
Final Thoughts
If you’re having a rough day — or a rough season — pick up a copy of The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Sit with the snowbound prairie. Feel the hunger. Witness the grit.
Remember what it took to get us here.
If that doesn’t shift your perspective, I’m not sure what will.
