(Episode 1) Richie got sick. Ok, thats fine. But you know what why should she have shamed and guilt Rob from going to the party? I mean he had to go as part of his work. She just went on and on about it. Why couldnt she stay home with Richie and have Rob go?

(Episode 4) Again, Rob had to go away to Washington and once again Laura gave him a guilt trip including the dream sequence which he depicted, and he's right, Laura pulling all the strings. Again, it was a part of his job. Why couldnt he just mind her own business and be quiet?

I think in these early episodes the writers were still getting a feel for the characters. Laura seems really clingy in these episodes because the writers were writing her like a stereotypical bossy housewife, which was common in quite a few sitcoms in the 1950s. I think I also remember reading that the writers originally intended to focus the show more on Rose Marie and the office scenes, because she was a bigger star at the time. Remember that Mary Tyler Moore (and to an extent, Dick Van Dyke too) was practically unknown in 1961; she was basically hired for her looks. The onscreen chemistry between Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore changed that focus pretty quickly, and the writers started fleshing out Laura's character more. So I just see these episodes as a wading period for the producers to see how the audience responded to the characters and do some tweaking where necessary :)

I think in these early episodes the writers were still getting a feel for the characters. Laura seems really clingy in these episodes because the writers were writing her like a stereotypical bossy housewife, which was common in quite a few sitcoms in the 1950s. I think I also remember reading that the writers originally intended to focus the show more on Rose Marie and the office scenes, because she was a bigger star at the time. Remember that Mary Tyler Moore (and to an extent, Dick Van Dyke too) was practically unknown in 1961; she was basically hired for her looks. The onscreen chemistry between Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore changed that focus pretty quickly, and the writers started fleshing out Laura's character more. So I just see these episodes as a wading period for the producers to see how the audience responded to the characters and do some tweaking where necessary :)
I agree! Also early on the writers and producers had no idea Mary Tyler Moore was capable of doing comedy which is why the character was written as a typical housewife in early episodes. Once they made the discovery that Mary could do comedy and do it well it changed they way her character and the stories were written!

they first saw how good she is with comedy in the episode MY BLONDE HAIRED BRUNETTE.