Father Knows Best

Bud uses an old book to teach himself to dance in time for his very first date and his very first dance.

Jim sets out to teach his layabout kids a proper life ethic. He tells them that "active participation equals good citizenship," and that they should volunteer willingly and cheerfully. They take this lesson to heart, but not with the expected results.

Jim and Margaret disagree on whether Jim should buy Bud a motor scooter.

Jim and Margaret go to the big football game every year. This year, Margaret finds she cannot go and Betty is promised the ticket-until Jim offers it to someone else.

Bud feels beleaguered by his parents and siblings, and believes he is ready to take responsibility for his own life. The teenager decides to move out of the house to live on his own.

Jim wants to play badminton, but his kids see him as too old for such things. When a school chum writes that he has become a grandfather, Jim is convinced that the best years of his life are behind him.

Kathy plays with the new washing machine and keeps throwing everything in it. This time, Betty's items for Girls in Government Club are included as well as a letter to Bud from the police. Betty's items are ruined and Bud gets a surprise.

When Kathy writes a prize-winning Thanksgiving poem, Jim envisions his "Kitten" as the next Emily Brontë. His proud fantasy is shattered when he actually reads the poem.

Jim and Margaret could use some time away from the house, so they plan a weekend getaway. Jim worries that the kids will be upset if they go, but they adjust more easily to the time apart than their parents.

Betty is falling hard for a new guy, and it upsets her father. Jim becomes convinced that Betty is exhibiting all the "recognizable symptoms" of someone who is about to elope.

Margaret is sure she could never get Jim to agree to take dancing classes with her. Her friend Myrtle suggests she try the "female art of persuasion"; Margaret tries to make Jim think it was his idea, but he's on to her. "Women are never so obvious as when they're trying to hide something," he counsels Bud.

In an attempt to remind his family of the real meaning of Christmas, Jim decides the Andersons will cut down their own Christmas tree this year. When they become stranded in the woods during a snowstorm, the true spirit of the holiday seems even more elusive than ever.

When Kathy discovers an injured sparrow on the windowsill, the family takes the little bird in to nurse it back to health. Jim promises her it will get well-and worries what will happen if it doesn't.

After Kathy breaks another window, Jim is committed to teaching his kids about personal responsibility. Then Jim himself gets a parking ticket he thinks is unfair. He takes his fight to court and finds out that his judge is none other than Bud, appointed to sit in during his high school's "Boy's Week."

The family has a lovely dinner and a special event planned for Kathy's birthday. She's been looking forward to it, but an uninvited visitor upsets the best-laid plans.

Bud is getting a reputation as a snob; his difficulty in talking with girls is being misinterpreted as standoffishness.

Jim demands that his family start living up to the promises they've made to people. "A promise is supposed to mean something," he tells them. Then Kathy reminds him of a pledge he made to her, and Jim winds up sleeping in her homemade playhouse.

Feeling stressed out from all the pressure at work, Jim decides to give up his job, move to the country and become a farmer. As he makes plans for the move, Margaret suspects there is more motivating Jim than just a longing for simplicity and self-reliance.

The Springfield newspaper is sponsoring a Father of the Year contest. The Anderson children set out to write the winning essay, but can't find the words to describe the "best father in the world." Jim would love to win, but that doesn't stop him from putting his foot down with Betty and Bud.

Money is tight and Jim lectures the family on fiscal responsibility. The very next day he is presented with an extraordinary opportunity to buy Margaret a mink coat for less than half the regular price, and he grabs it. Margaret loves the coat, but even though she looks like a million bucks, they're more cash-strapped than ever.

Margaret wages a campaign to get her cousin's boyfriend to propose. Though Louise is hesitant to "trap" Tom, Margaret is sure she knows what to do and takes over.

Cousin Louise is getting married in the Anderson home. Margaret is going all-out on the wedding, and Jim is not happy about the bills. When a case of wedding jitters keeps Louise out of the rehearsal, Bud has to stand in for the bride.

After he runs into a friend who brags about his overachieving children, Jim wants to help inspire his own brood to acts of greatness. He feels they lack courage and challenges them to face their fears.

The customers on Bud's paper route have been complaining about him to his boss. When Mr. Collins tells Jim about it, Jim assures him that Bud will fulfill his duties if he gives him another chance. The very next day, Bud skins his elbow and can't complete his deliveries.

Kathy demands equal rights with Betty and Bud. Jim agrees and says that whatever Betty gets to do, Kathy gets to do too. When Betty asks to invite a boy over for dinner, Kathy wants to do the same-but no one expects that they both want to ask the same boy.

Bud is slacking off-he's not doing his chores and he's put off memorizing a poem to recite in church. Margaret insists he skip his softball game and catch up on his work. When Jim sees that the team is losing without Bud, he sneaks Bud out to the game- against Margaret's wishes.