For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for May 27, 2013

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    Templo S.U.D.  over 11 years ago

    Oh, c’mon, Elly! Show that motherly care!

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    Downundergirl  over 11 years ago

    and why cannot JOHN stay home Templo SUD? Maybe he could show a bit of ‘fatherly’ care? Surely you are not suggesting that his work is more important than hers… even if she is doing part-time?

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    Can't Sleep  over 11 years ago

    Every parents’ nightmare – a sick child. What? You thought I meant something else?

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    Downundergirl  over 11 years ago

    I suspect that is probably the card John plays. His business cannot run without him, whereas the same cannot be said about Elly,

    yeah, I know. Just irritates the beejezzus out of me – we see it all the time here at work. Then I have to remind myself that this is a 30 year old comic for goodness sakes!!! :-) rofl.

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    kfccanada  over 11 years ago

    If Elizabeth is now too sick to go to play care, you can almost count on Michael getting this same illness and having to stay home from school for several days,as well. Truthfully, John’s job IS more important than Ellie’s as he is the major breadwinner of the family. Ellie should do what almost all mothers have to do in a case like this….stay home and help Elizabeth get well as quickly as feasible.

    I’m not being chauvinistic; I’ve had to do this too even though I was the ONLY breadwinner in a household of six kiddoes. Moms still have to be moms when their child is sick.

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    Deezlebird  over 11 years ago

    People, think for a minute. Rescheduling an entire day’s worth of patients? Who have already made time in THEIR schedules to go to the dentist? And then having to fit them back into what is probably an already pretty packed schedule? I’m sorry, I am a female, but there is no comparison here.

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    jeanie5448  over 11 years ago

    Ellie will just have to suck it up and stay home and take care of her child. I was a single mom of 3 and many days I had to stay home from work to take care of a sick child and I didn’t have sick days to use to get paid……….so no work no pay. You do what you have to do.

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    jeanie5448  over 11 years ago

    throw up on her Elizabeth, that will convince her you are sick.

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    Red Phantom  over 11 years ago

    Who even said John was still home? Pretty selfish: John can you come home, and ask all your patients to reschedule, so I can go to work? Especially since you can the only one there doing your job and I have several librarians to fill in for my?It’s not just about male and female people, there are many more things to consider here. There are times when John watches the kids so Elly can work. It’s not like he refuses to help with them.The big question is why don’t they have a sick kid babysitter backup? I know they are out there and were 30 years ago too. Sitters who will watch a sick child when parents can’t take time off of work and can’t send them to daycare.

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    alondra  over 11 years ago

    I have to agree with all of you. Elly is low woman on the totem pole so they can get along without her a lot better than Jon’s office can get along without him. People who need dental care pretty much need it NOW. If she were the dentist and he the librarian I’d still say the dentist is more important. It’s not a male/female thing, it’s a matter of whose job is more important.

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    mkcsSquirrel  over 11 years ago

    Elly should stay home because her job is less important but even if it was as important she would still be expected to stay home. Once you are the stay at home mom who handles everything kid related even when later both parents are working at equally important jobs the sick kid job still falls to the former stay at home mom. Partially out of habit for the other parent and partially out of guilt for the mom

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    stuart  over 11 years ago

    The scheduling, income loss, and urgent patient problems make John’s work more urgent (and Elly should stay home). But that does not make his work more important.

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    gobblingup Premium Member over 11 years ago

    Oh take it easy! Of course Elly knows that she’ll need to stay home with her. She just had her entire day planned out in her head, and now this throws everything upside down. I’ve said something similar to this before, and I’m always the one to stay home with sick kids (even when I worked). It’s just a silly phrase that voices everything that’s going through her head – she knows that she won’t be working with a sick kid but she also knows she’s expected at work. Remember, it’s just a comic that exaggerates the crazy parts of life… It would be ordinary and boring if Elly said, “Poor Elizabeth! Go back to bed and I’ll make you feel better”

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    androscoggin  over 11 years ago

    When I was a kid and my little sister was sick, I was the one who stayed home with her, while both of our parents went to work!

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    danlarios  over 11 years ago

    no compassion

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    sameyers  over 11 years ago

    My husband never treated my job as less important than his. But, realistically, I was part-time and he paid the mortgage.

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    Gokie5  over 11 years ago

    Should have read all the comments. Macushalondra just said the same thing.

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    westny77  over 11 years ago

    Ellie first you have a stupid yard sale to please the library and now you want to sacrifice your child as well.You are the ultimate loser.

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    hippogriff  over 11 years ago

    L Nelson: I was a librarian long before I took any Library Science course. even though it was my personal library. I was recognized as such and participated in the InterLibrary Exchange in Dallas. The head librarian in Bonham has not had any courses in Library Science (just “in service” training) and I wasn’t considered qualified to be an assistant librarian when there was an opening there. Males can be academic librarians, but not public librarians, in this region.

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    tammyspeakslife Premium Member over 11 years ago

    Poor Lizzie needs a hug!

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    Gretchen's Mom  over 11 years ago

     

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    potrerokid  over 11 years ago

    Then, you should try running for office & do something about it, or is that too much of a problem?

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    loves raising duncan  over 11 years ago

    Elly, at least your child appreciates you. That’s more than those self-absorbed snobs at the library do.

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    Asharah  over 11 years ago

    Hello, she has Annie right next door, stay-at-home mom who’s kids are probably coming down with the same crud.

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    Downundergirl  over 11 years ago

    oh phuleese. All i was saying was that it was obviously ‘expected’ that she would stay home because her job was seen as ‘less important’. Haven’t we moved on from this type of value judgement? It is a dilemma families face everyday – quantifying the value of one person’s employment over the others to attend to the real issue of a child’s needs.

    Of course she is going to stay home. Of course she realises that Johns work as the major breadwinner is of more MONETARY value. This does not negate the value of her work or make it less important to her. it is a REAL job to her and it is insulting to think that it is a ‘pretend’ job or less important to her self worth as his.

    Sadly, it does reflect a very limiting viewpoint I see around me all day affecting the part-time women I work with who are expected to drop everything and deal with family issues because they are not the main breadwinner – but they are the main carer, chauffeur, cleaner, cook, laundress, nurse, lover – as well as expected to bring in additional income to support the family. They work long hours each week at home and then in paid employment, while partner comes home from work, puts feet up, cracks a beer and watches the tube ignoring the mess/sick child/expecting dinner….

    Lets lighten up folks. its a comic.

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