Ward Was Like A Psychologist

[Scrabjan1]

Seems in many episodes Ward tells June why Beaver or Wally acted like they do. He tells the boys often why their friends act a certain way or why things worked out a certain way. In the episode when Beaver gets a going away party he asks Ward why the kids were sad to see him leave but mad when he was going to stay. He explains how it’s a form of selfishness as they went to some trouble to get him presents and when he wasn’t moving they were disappointed. Ward was a great father to explain things. He knew to give Larry time to prove himself as Pythias too and sure enough he did.

Any other great advice that Ward gave? I like when he told Wally to introduce his friends to Alma so he could get off the hook.

Hey they gave Penny a goodbye party when she was moving and everyone bought presents and she didn’t move after all but she kept the presents.

[stevea]

When Beaver came to him with the record club problem, he gave him good advice to set up a payment plan. Beaver told Ward he was a dumb kid, to which Ward could have agreed, but since it's his kid, he didn't.

[Scrabjan1]

Ward was furious when Beaver tried to "deem" his bond for $15 to give Lumpy. When Ward found out what was really going on he changed his attitude and told Beaver he could go upstairs and relax and he would handle the problem.

Beaver should have gone to Ward all the time but then there would be no show. When Beaver is afraid of having his tooth drilled (once again Evil Lumpy scared him) and Ward wanted Beaver to be a little soldier, he embarrassed Ward at the dentist office. Ward told June later he was upset with himself for putting Beaver in a situation where he could only break down and cry. It was a great show even now for parents and kids alike.

[stevea]

This is the early, imperfect Ward. This changed later and maybe ABC eventually wanted it that way.

Another example of early Ward is the running away episode. He actually admitted to Beaver that he was wrong. At the point of confrontation, you actually don't put a 7-3/4 or 8 year old on a spot like Ward did. Ward said, "I don't suppose you want supper first." (or similar words) Instead he could have said, Beaver, I want you to eat some supper first and then we'll talk about running away and your not never coming back. He would have obeyed at that point because he wanted a way out.

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by Scrabjan1

. Ward told June later he was upset with himself for putting Beaver in a situation where he could only break down and cry. It was a great show even now for parents and kids alike.

I cannot even begin to count the times where I've found myself asking "what would Ward do?" when having to confront an unruly child, regardless if it is my own or some others in a public place. Ward is a monument of self restraint and well intentioned guidance.

Just last year I came upon a group of boys throwing rocks at a bird trying to protect her nest full of eggs, made the "what would Ward do?' deliberation, and then set out to encourage the boys to try and see things from the birds point of view how they would feel if "some big ugly creature was trying to break their bones" in a manner that was impossible for them to not see a parallel with me as the potential adversary.

I think it went rather well, and I feel the bird would concur.

[stevea]

There is a Father Knows Best episode that ends with a similar scenario, but Kathy had replaced the eggs in the nest--the boys were not found, but she had witnessed the misdeed. The mother bird then came back to the nest. I sometimes can't figure out how they actually film stuff like that. In any case, it was a touching end to that episode as Jim told her she had witnessed a minor miracle.

Not to your point, of course, just a similar anecdote.

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by stevea

The mother bird then came back to the nest. I sometimes can't figure out how they actually film stuff like that.

Not to your point, of course, just a similar anecdote.

I think that sometimes the editing room makes miracles happen.

the timeline that we see often is out of sequence with the way things happen

[stevea]

Well, when they show the bird actually flying back to the nest--that was probably spliced in from an unrelated film. The FKB scene was on-location, but actually finding a bird's nest in a tree on the back lot is pretty unlikely.

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by stevea

The FKB scene was on-location, but actually finding a bird's nest in a tree on the back lot is pretty unlikely.

Admittedly, I am just speculating. Suppose the nest found them, instead of them finding the nest?

Wildlife will observe an area and if it appears enough off the beaten path, will nest in it despite a nearby urban threat. Perhaps the bird built the nest, someone with the shows production saw it and said "what a great plot device"?

Sometimes with habitat loss, the mothers can't be overly choosy with their selection.

I walked out to the back of my property (admittedly there is a river back there) a few years ago and found the following:





What's more when I got back from a trip to the house to fetch my camera, All I did was say "well, let's see them".......and you can see the "pose" for yourself.

No, she did not understand my words, but she no doubt experienced "situational awareness" and knowing from previous exposure that I was a non-threat....was happy to accommodate my curiosity (true story)

Here is another day in my back yard:

[stevea]

Twice in the last five years, including last May, there has been a cardinal nest in a small bush right next to the garage door. Two feet from a noisy door, and there is a walkway right next to it, to boot.

Despite all the activity, the birds (the male hangs around quite a bit, too--Mr. Bird Mom) must find some safety there.

[GentlemanJim]

I've got a three tone whistle that I do,...the lower animated picture shows them responding to my whistle, they actually started from across the river and came to me enmasse.
There are also a couple pairs of Cardinals that respond from across the river, as well as a good handful of sparrows.

And then there are the woodpeckers. Same tree every spring. Couple years ago I whistled one day and an adult came out of the hole followed by 6 nearly ready to fledge juveniles, and all 7 of them began pecking away at the tree, incredible sound!!

My friends can try to imitate the same whistle, and get zilch for a response.

[GentlemanJim]

Additionally, there is a Great Blue Heron that swoops in occasionally, magnificent creature up close, but incredibly timid, a squirrel, and a raccoon who started pawing my elbow when he was just several months old. He became somewhat of a problem as he started coming up to my back door and waiting for me to come out in the morning, and then follow me around while I did my chores.

And then there are a half dozen humming birds who will "buzz" me while I'm out on my hands and knees tending my tomato garden.

I think that the underlying process is called "habituation". The wildlife sees me every day, see that I cause them no harm, feed them occasionally....so eventually I "belong" there to their way of thinking. And I think for some of them anyway, they observe me not harming one group of creature, so they feel more secure in taking a chance with me themselves. I think that is where both the Heron and the young coon came to accept me, noting that I had not taken a toll on any of the geese.

So,back to the FKB set, despite the activity level one would normally expect in such an environment, perhaps that tree was just sufficiently off the beaten path, that the mother bird became habituated and thought "why not?".

[Scrabjan1]

Reading how you got those boys to stop throwing rocks at a mother bird made me tear up. First because there are people who would abuse a living thing protecting their offspring and second that you took the time to intervene and explain why it was wrong.

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by Scrabjan1

Reading how you got those boys to stop throwing rocks at a mother bird made me tear up. First because there are people who would abuse a living thing protecting their offspring and second that you took the time to intervene and explain why it was wrong.

Glad that that I could share an upbeat moment with you this Easter.

I never was huge on wildlife when I was younger, I was too busy pursuing all the complex toys that we convince ourselves are important.

But after about age 50, I slowed down a bit, and tuned into what I had been missing for so long.

I'm content with who I am, but.....if I had my life to live over, knowing what I know now, I believe that I would become a wildlife conservation officer, because there is so much abuse directed towards wildlife, and I would dearly enjoy delivering enforcement into the hearts of the worst offenders.

And yeah, as far as the kids go, I think the Ward Cleaver treatment is best.
I've tried the "Mr Wilson" treatment as well, but I find that only makes the kids come back later looking for revenge against the animal when I'm not there to protect them

[stevea]

Oh, that Mr. Wilson...how horribly he treated Dennis, and as I said on that forum, the kid idolized him, and what did Dennis get? The door slammed in his face, or verbal abuse most of the time. I said over there that George was nasty to him about 90 percent of the time. This wasn't true of the Gale Gordon (John) version. This is why I prefer the Gale Gordon version to the Kearns version. But I'm in the huge minority.

I also feel sorry for the real-life actor, Jay North. The abuse he endured probably scarred his whole life.