| Mama's New Job | |
| Season 1, Episode 2a | |
| Series: The Berenstain Bears (2002) | |
 | |
| Air date | September 11, 2002 (Treehouse TV) January 8, 2003 (PBS) |
| Written by | Bruce Robb |
| Directed by | Gary Hurst and Kervin Farla |
| Preceded by The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist |
Followed by The Berenstain Bears and Mighty Milton |
“Sister: When Mama gets a job, the cubs find it strange...
Brother: Filling her shoes and dealing with change.”
—Opening quote
Mama's New Job is the first segment of the second episode in season one of The Berenstain Bears. It first aired on Treehouse TV on September 11, 2002, and later on PBS on January 8, 2003. It is based on the book of the same name.
Summary[]
When Mama decides to open her own quilt shop, Papa and the cubs are convinced they won’t be able to cope around the house without her. However it’s only when they stop thinking about themselves and start thinking about supporting Mama and her new endeavor do Papa and the cubs band together to share the load and make it work.
Plot[]
Mama is working on a new quilt when Brother asks Mama to help him practice with his new tether plane for Show and Tell at school. Sister asks Mama to count her skipping as she will be showing off her skills by skipping to 1000. Finally Papa asks Mama which blue he should use for some furniture he going to sell, Mama tells him he should use that Honey color. Brother, Sister and Papa all agree it is great to have Mama around. Soon the yard sale comes, two ladies notice Mama's quilts and want to purchase them but Brother and Sister claim the quilts for themselves. Mama sides with the cubs and says she's just airing them out, the ladies remark on how well done they are and ask Mama if she has ever thought about going into business. Papa chimes in and says that one business bear is enough for one family and shows the ladies some chairs.
That night after the furniture sale, Mama comments on how well it went, Papa agrees but also has many new orders to take care of. Mama reminisces on starting a quilt business, as she is good at it, but is also asked by many for advice and help on their work. She realizes that if she did go into the quilt business she could make lots of quilts, even ones for all the seasons. Since she has lots of other things to do so there is never enough time to make all those different quilts. The next morning, Brother and Sister are practicing for their Show and Tell presentations until Papa calls them for breakfast. After everyone is in the kitchen Mama tells them after much thought she is going into the quilt making business, a statement that shocks the entire family. After showing them her new business location, which needs a lot of work on before opening, Mama explains that she has been giving this a lot of thought and would like to go into business making quilts. At first the cubs protest that she is their mother and shouldn't be a business bear, but Mama tells the cubs there are plenty of mamas who have jobs. Papa is also not enthusiastic about Mama working as he prefers the way things are, and that she takes care of them; Mama assures him that she'll need help, but they can do it. Later on the cubs complain to Papa about Mama not being here but Papa tells them that instead of complaining they should really be thinking about how they can help Mama. They go over the chores Mama has to do, including: laundry, weeding, dropping off books, and helping out at the library. The Cubs and Papa agree to get to work so they'll be helping out Mama. They spend the day getting to work on everything; later on, Papa teaches Brother how to do the loop-de-loop with the tether plane, and Brother counts Sister's 1000 skips, and the cubs help Papa paint his furniture. That night after a long day of working Mama comes home exhausted and finds some soup (which Papa calls “Bear Family Late Night Stew”) and warm water waiting for her. The cubs say that they helped take care of all the chores and how they actually felt glad as they helped Mama. She is happy to hear that and is grateful and proud of them as they are of her.
Soon, the quilt shop is ready and open for business, and Mama thanks her family for all their help. At the shop, two ladies want the same quilt; Sister tells them it’s okay, as there are two of the same; when Brother points out to Papa about the Mayor and Mrs. Honeypot having come to see the quilt shop, Papa remarks that it doesn't surprise him, adding, “As I always say, there’s enough room in this family for two business bears.”
That night, after Mama locks up the shop, Sister remarks that every bed in Bear Country must have a quilt of hers on it, and Mama agrees, saying the mayor ordered three. As they leave, Papa initially suggests they celebrate with a bowl of “Bear Family Late Night Stew,” to which Mama suggests they go to Beartown Burger for supper instead, and says it’s her treat; Papa and the cubs wholeheartedly agree with the idea.
Characters[]
- Mama
- Papa
- Sister
- Brother
- Dr Grizzly (mentioned)
- Mrs. Honeycomb (mentioned)
Differences from book[]
- In the book the concept came by happenstance. Mama had finished cleaning the quilts and putting them out to air while Papa was hosting a woodworking show. Those who were looking to buy from Papa saw Mama's quilts and admired them. When they realize they are not for sale, they suggest she should produce them, causing Papa to remark at first "One business bear in the family is plenty", but quickly changes his attitude when he sees the popularity of her work.
- The episode shows that Papa and the cubs are left with a lot of housework while Mama is working on this business. In the book, the issue was tackled right away, with everyone agreeing to help Mama's shop get off the ground. Papa uses his carpentry skills to renovate an unoccupied store Mama bought, and the cubs help clean and paint it.
Trivia[]
- When Papa reads off the todo list, Widder Jones is mentioned by her book name: Miz McGrizz.
Watch Episode[]
