i have this terrible feeling that Fay’s mom might be one of those moms that make their kids sick to gain attention: I think it’s called Munchausen by Proxy syndrome…Hope I’m wrong because this would be Awfully dark even for Luann…
1) Looks like we’re back on track on GoComics uploading. 2) Oh, poor Fay with her mother kind of embarrassing her about her medication where everyone can hear. 3) Will we see the idiot Axel again?
Fay’s mother is the ultra-hovering type. Compulsively speaks for her daughter. Makes me wonder if some kind of Munchhausen By Proxy mechanism is actually triggering Fay’s allergies or making them worse. Maybe she’s even giving Fay some kind of horrible supplement she ordered from the Web, that’s making Fay very allergy prone.
Allergies these days are so rampant that many of them must be caused by unhealthy environmental factors. This wasn’t happening in nearly the same degree 60 years ago.
Just a couple of days ago, my local city paper ran a big article about the pros and cons of raw (unpasteurized) milk. One benefit is supposed to be a reduction in the tendency toward allergies.
The woman in the article, who produces a lot of raw milk for local customers, says she has lactose intolerance, relative to conventional milk. But she can drink raw milk without getting sick.
Repeated exposure to something may trigger allergies, only if you have a latent sensitivity to the substance. Bee and wasp stings, for example, for some people, after the first occurrence.
Heck, I’ve been drinking tea and coke, and eating Mexican food, fried chicken, and ice cream all my life. And I haven’t gotten allergic to any of them. Not to asparagus or eggplant either – my favorite veggies.
My only allergy is a little pollen allergy in a couple of seasons each year. And I even got over a couple of childhood allergies.
@FLASHGORDON: Stevia isn’t an artificial sweetener. It’s derived from a plant. Same as sugar comes from cane or beets. If you can’t tolerate it, you need to also look very carefully at the list of ingredients for any product that claims to be low sugar, to make sure it does not include ‘sugar alcohol’. Sugar alcohol is supposed to have a warning on the package letting people who are normal know that it can cause the runs. For those of us with Crohn’s or similar conditions, it’s like taking a super laxative.
I’ve made a comment or two, but I think I may sit out the rest of this allergy and illness confab. People can be as rigid and impenetrable about pet theories about these issues as some can be about, well, politics. Or religion. It may be the third topic to avoid in what one hopes will be a pleasant social encounter. Let’s see how long I can discipline myself to keep my mouth shut, dumb as the sheep before the shearer. Except for this… “Natural ingredients” is more or less meaningless as a guide to “safe” eating. Poison mushrooms, after all, are as straight from nature natural as they come. “Chemical” too. Water is a chemical, after all. Signing off on this, again. I think.
Fay’s mom needs to shut up! Embarrassing Fay like that isn’t cool. She didn’t need to share about the bloating or the diarrhea. And “tum-tum meds”? Come on! She’s not even being subtle anymore, now she’s flat-out embarrassing Fay.
I love Fay’s expression in the last frame. It’s like Fay has found somebody she can be around without any pretense. I see a wonderful bond there. Fay’s Mom seems to have similar behavior to Mrs. Berger – talking about Fay in front of others like Fay is still a little kid instead of an emerging adult. I remember Gunther’s Mom saying to Gunther, “Go show Les your sewing room.” Ouch! Fay’s Mom should have said this stuff to Luann privately – or even in a text or email. I kinda wish Luann, Tara and Dez had taken Fay along to the body art event – if not age restricted material – good for Fay to share some experiences with young adults as she approaches that time.
Allergies seem to be the most prevalent and least understood form of illness these days. There are a gazillion over the counter products for allergies you can buy in the drug store. The vendors are well aware of the problem – but not the solution – as most of these products are not effective for very long.
Maybe Fay needs to stand up to her mother about being overly protective, just like Les needs to stand up to Ann for being the opposite. Luann’s comment to Fay may help her to begin to see that.
Allergies are so personal and so individual. I suffered from severe allergies most of my life until I was finally able to get allergy testing and then shots. It changed my life. What is so funny is I can understand everyone in this strip. Fay’s mom, who is so used to thinking and dealing with the cause and reaction of Fay’s condition, this is almost like a weather report. Fay is slightly bloated with a chance of runs today. Fay who just wants to be seen as a person and not a walking medical condition. The one I feel sorry for is Luann. She comes from a family were everyone enjoys good health for the most part. If Fay’s allergies are sever enough, it might be wise to just type it up for any supervising adult. Something along the lines of peanut butter will result in an ER visit.
Perhaps Axel has an allergy to raw persimmons, judging by the looks of his lips. Either that, or his lips were stuck to a freezing flagpole at one time or another.
It’s well known that some physical symptoms, including allergies, may be psychologically caused (psychosomatic, hypochondria). That may help to explain why some symptoms just “clear up” – after childhood, for example. The psychological complexes may not be stirred up so heavily in the person’s consciousness anymore, so the physical symptom clears up. Related to why kids usually have some nightmares, but adults much less often.
Some such complexes, of course, carry over from past lives. Psychiatrist Brian Weiss has looked into this, and written Many Lives, Many Masters.
I don’t think the problem is that Fay has allergies, but that she has a mother who tells people about her diarrhea when there isn’t even any need to. If she’s “feeling better,” why the need for details?
She also probably has normal illnesses and allergies for a kid her age – no big deal. But a mother who MAKES it a big deal.
OK, so the question for this arc will be, “can Luann reach Fay and have her assert herself, properly (i.e. without the mother pushing back)?” We shall see.Yeah, Munchausen by Proxy might be a concern, but let’s wait. If the Evanses weren’t going to “go there” with Ann, I can’t see them “going there” with Fay’s mom. This might be a KISS moment. Let’s just see what Fay has to say.
Wow, Munchausen by Proxy has been identified by at least 4 or possibly 5 comments so far this morning. I don’t know but Fay seems to be over-mothered in some respects. This is an interesting arc, contrary to some comments here, because it goes into Luann’s development as a giving, emphatic person, an important part of the DeGroot she has been raised to be. I mean she can stand Bernice, Ms. Neurotic Snarky all these Luannverse years, so letting her be such an important to a sweet, preteen young woman is very interesting. It will lead to a very absorbing story I am sure.
Munchhausen by Proxy would not seem to include a smiling mom saying that the kid is feeling better, since the idea is to attract sympathy by drawing attention to one’s plight.
Fay may or may not have serious allergy problems, but the issue so far seems to be an over-functioning parent. When people do that, their “victims” under-function which stunts their emotional growth.
In all seriousness, though, I truly doubt the author had any intentions of “Munchausen by Proxy”. A lot of times, you just have kids who are very discreet or are just quiet in nature, and can and will give out infornmation in their own way and time. But the parents, not seeing the child’s communication process (at least, in terms of ‘to the parent/s own satisfaction’… or perhaps ‘not feeling confident enough in their perception of evidence that their child will “communicate properly/clearly” ’), will feel compelled to ’speak up’ for the child, even before the kid has a chance to open their lips.
-
In other words, some parents just feel it’s their duty to either spell everything out in details (to a kid’s embarrassment) or to just be their general spokesperson (feeling that they are doing it to ‘support’ their quiet kid and to “make way for them, in the world”). I think that’s Fay’s mom. She could be ‘soft in tone’, but just very vocal, in general, and probably is concerned with Fay’s welfare (which could be her motivation, here).
-
They don’t mean any harm, they are just their kid’s biggest enthusiast (and for some, out there, their “loudest”, too).
People need to let their kids eat dirt more often. Sticking stuff in their mouths at an early age introduces a wide range of organisms and improves the body’s immune response.
Luann is no one’s role model. I hated this storyline before and now I hate it even more. Luann is at least 20 years old and can’t get past the stage where her Mom lectures her on keeping a clean bedroom. Everyone else is maturing around her and yet she never EVER does. To make her any kind of “life coach” is laughable in the extreme and creatively irresponsible on the part of the creators.
Several interesting ideas here today as I take my morning pipe and coffee break:
1. Fay’s Mom is being portrayed to be a “helicopter parent” in today’s effort. However, we will need to wait a bit to really see if this is a consistent behavior pattern for her Mom, or if instead this stomach issue may be of such a serious nature that perhaps the added reminding is warranted.
2. The issues of allergies in the modern world is a very interesting one. I am fortunate to have no known allergies to anything, and it does not seem to run through either my wife nor me or our kids or grand kids, etc.
3. There is a current line of thought in much of the scientific community that suggests that a fairly hefty percentage of the huge number of allergies we currently see may be due to the environment… but not in the way one may assume. It appears that our extensive use of cleaning products and perhaps especially some of the anti-microbial agents (such as triclosan for instance) may be preventing our (especially in childhood) immune responses from developing normally and so when a kid is now exposed to something later than typical in the past…. the immune system overreacts with the allergic reaction.
4. There is some thought that this sort of environmental exposure (or lack thereof) may be an explanation for the rise in autoimmune disorders of a variety of sorts as well.
5. Whether Fay’s Mom is a “helicopter Mom” or not…. she should really be able to realize that giving the “gory” details of Fay’s allergy and her “tum-tum” issues both must be highly embarrassing for Fay. Fay’s Mom could have more discretely said simply that Fay had a rough allergic reaction and that she has some stomach medication…. and left it at that so Fay could add more details if she felt comfortable doing so.
In one respect, I’m empathetic to Fay’s mom – one wonders how many times she’s had to respond to Fay getting sick over this, then that, then another thing – again and again, plus all the obvious trips to the doctor. Having parented my young one, who had some really rough times, especially during public-school years (as health goes, it’s all much better now), I do understand.
HOWEVER, there’s more than just smothering going on here. The mom is WAY overcompensating, plus embarrassing – Saying “Tum-Tum meds” is OK for a six-year old, NOT a 13 year old (Fay’s age, right?). No wonder she’s so shy and withdrawn!
And “Back in an hour” ??? Heck, there are a lot of parents who shuffle their kids off to some activity for HOURS at a time – just to have some Phew!! Time for me! time (be it deserved, or not).
So I’m not that critical of Fay’s mom – it’s better, I guess, to have too much attentiveness, as opposed to too little or out-and-out disregard (trust me). The mom will need to let Fay get out and grow…
Seems to me that if Fay’s mother was very casual about Fay’s allergies, she’d be accused of neglect. If she forgot to mention them to anyone who was taking care of Fay, and the wrong foods were given to Fay, the mother could be arrested for child endangerment.
So, reading all the comments on this board, we can only conclude that mother’s are terrible beings who can never do anything right, and the state should take their kids away immediately and give them to foster homes (where they may or may not be treated with care.) And then when they hit age 18, they are suddenly released and totally on their own.
And of course, according to the combined wisdom of Rongo and Old_Whiney-Dud, any foster home with Luann in it would be totally unacceptable because she ‘s just a bad, bad person. Rongo and Whiney would much prefer the tender mercies of Ann Awful, because she’s a looker, which is what matters. And of course, as soon as she loses the right amount of weight, Tiffphoney, for the same reason.
Good thing this is just a comic and not someone’s real life….
Just thought of a great new arc: No one has heard from Rosa in Peru. Over the December holidays, Tiffany & Gunther fly to Peru to try to find her. That would be a great adventure – two young adults getting away from Mommy & Daddy – and learning about the world and each other.
Well-meaning but blabbermouthed mom, not conscious of how sensitive an age this is for Fay and her development as an independent person, can be very hurtful. And she’s saying all this and is only going to be gone for an hour?! Poor Fay. I think I’d have a tummyache, too!
Notice how most kids are allergic to almost everything? One reason is that we protect them from absolutely everything and their bodies cannot fight ANYTHING. They are sickly because their bodies cannot fight off anything. My dad said I’d eat a peck of dirt in my lifetime so get used to it. I have never been sick in my life because my mom did not molly coddle me.
I have a theory about the huge increase in allergies we’re seeing these days.Children in the past 40 years or so have had many more immunizations than previous generations did. (Bear with me — I’m not against immunizations.)An immunization shot has two active components: (1) the antigen, such as a killed virus or bacterium, and (2) an adjuvant, which kicks the immune system into high gear and stimulates antibody production. The modern adjuvants are also a lot more effective than the ones they had 50 years ago; they stimulate an immune response without causing fever, aches, and pains in the victim.Now, adjuvants don’t discriminate. A kid with, for instance, a recent MMR or tetanus shot is exposed to a lot of potential antigens in the normal course of daily life, such as dog or cat dander, peanuts, or pollen. If the kid develops an immune response to one of those things, that is what we call an allergy.Maybe what the medical profession should do is to advise keeping recently-immunized children away from the family pets, peanuts, or whatever for a few days after getting the shot. It might prevent the development of new (and violent) allergies.
brianktdad about 7 years ago
i have this terrible feeling that Fay’s mom might be one of those moms that make their kids sick to gain attention: I think it’s called Munchausen by Proxy syndrome…Hope I’m wrong because this would be Awfully dark even for Luann…
Templo S.U.D. about 7 years ago
1) Looks like we’re back on track on GoComics uploading. 2) Oh, poor Fay with her mother kind of embarrassing her about her medication where everyone can hear. 3) Will we see the idiot Axel again?
Wizardgoat about 7 years ago
Fay’s mother is the ultra-hovering type. Compulsively speaks for her daughter. Makes me wonder if some kind of Munchhausen By Proxy mechanism is actually triggering Fay’s allergies or making them worse. Maybe she’s even giving Fay some kind of horrible supplement she ordered from the Web, that’s making Fay very allergy prone.
AnyFace about 7 years ago
Vilyehm about 7 years ago
And still at the Fuse, with nobody at all commenting on Ann’s event.
Splenda can clean me out if I have more than one two liter bottle.
With Luann on guard, let’s have some Fay ~ Les interaction.
Opposite horror stories attract?
howtheduck about 7 years ago
Is all this information necessary for a one hour appointment?
Vilyehm about 7 years ago
Eventual Fay Tiffany interaction?
Food glut meets food allergy?
Since many originally wanted Tiff to be bloated.
Mordock999 Premium Member about 7 years ago
Awwwwww, Poor Fay has “Tum-Tum Troubles.”
Better put Knute on “standby” for possible “Clean-up”……,
Wizardgoat about 7 years ago
Allergies these days are so rampant that many of them must be caused by unhealthy environmental factors. This wasn’t happening in nearly the same degree 60 years ago.
Just a couple of days ago, my local city paper ran a big article about the pros and cons of raw (unpasteurized) milk. One benefit is supposed to be a reduction in the tendency toward allergies.
The woman in the article, who produces a lot of raw milk for local customers, says she has lactose intolerance, relative to conventional milk. But she can drink raw milk without getting sick.
Ruth Brown about 7 years ago
From an interesting arc gone stale to a non-interesting arc.
Wizardgoat about 7 years ago
Repeated exposure to something may trigger allergies, only if you have a latent sensitivity to the substance. Bee and wasp stings, for example, for some people, after the first occurrence.
Heck, I’ve been drinking tea and coke, and eating Mexican food, fried chicken, and ice cream all my life. And I haven’t gotten allergic to any of them. Not to asparagus or eggplant either – my favorite veggies.
My only allergy is a little pollen allergy in a couple of seasons each year. And I even got over a couple of childhood allergies.
capricorn9th about 7 years ago
So, Luann and Fay. While Fay is a sweet girl, the arc is not all that interesting. I rather get back to Gunther and Tiffany.
Argythree about 7 years ago
@FLASHGORDON: Stevia isn’t an artificial sweetener. It’s derived from a plant. Same as sugar comes from cane or beets. If you can’t tolerate it, you need to also look very carefully at the list of ingredients for any product that claims to be low sugar, to make sure it does not include ‘sugar alcohol’. Sugar alcohol is supposed to have a warning on the package letting people who are normal know that it can cause the runs. For those of us with Crohn’s or similar conditions, it’s like taking a super laxative.
jimmjonzz Premium Member about 7 years ago
I’ve made a comment or two, but I think I may sit out the rest of this allergy and illness confab. People can be as rigid and impenetrable about pet theories about these issues as some can be about, well, politics. Or religion. It may be the third topic to avoid in what one hopes will be a pleasant social encounter. Let’s see how long I can discipline myself to keep my mouth shut, dumb as the sheep before the shearer. Except for this… “Natural ingredients” is more or less meaningless as a guide to “safe” eating. Poison mushrooms, after all, are as straight from nature natural as they come. “Chemical” too. Water is a chemical, after all. Signing off on this, again. I think.
Rosette about 7 years ago
Fay’s mom needs to shut up! Embarrassing Fay like that isn’t cool. She didn’t need to share about the bloating or the diarrhea. And “tum-tum meds”? Come on! She’s not even being subtle anymore, now she’s flat-out embarrassing Fay.
kenhense about 7 years ago
I love Fay’s expression in the last frame. It’s like Fay has found somebody she can be around without any pretense. I see a wonderful bond there. Fay’s Mom seems to have similar behavior to Mrs. Berger – talking about Fay in front of others like Fay is still a little kid instead of an emerging adult. I remember Gunther’s Mom saying to Gunther, “Go show Les your sewing room.” Ouch! Fay’s Mom should have said this stuff to Luann privately – or even in a text or email. I kinda wish Luann, Tara and Dez had taken Fay along to the body art event – if not age restricted material – good for Fay to share some experiences with young adults as she approaches that time.
kenhense about 7 years ago
Allergies seem to be the most prevalent and least understood form of illness these days. There are a gazillion over the counter products for allergies you can buy in the drug store. The vendors are well aware of the problem – but not the solution – as most of these products are not effective for very long.
Wizardgoat about 7 years ago
Maybe Fay needs to stand up to her mother about being overly protective, just like Les needs to stand up to Ann for being the opposite. Luann’s comment to Fay may help her to begin to see that.
butterfly_qvrs about 7 years ago
Allergies are so personal and so individual. I suffered from severe allergies most of my life until I was finally able to get allergy testing and then shots. It changed my life. What is so funny is I can understand everyone in this strip. Fay’s mom, who is so used to thinking and dealing with the cause and reaction of Fay’s condition, this is almost like a weather report. Fay is slightly bloated with a chance of runs today. Fay who just wants to be seen as a person and not a walking medical condition. The one I feel sorry for is Luann. She comes from a family were everyone enjoys good health for the most part. If Fay’s allergies are sever enough, it might be wise to just type it up for any supervising adult. Something along the lines of peanut butter will result in an ER visit.
Brdshtt Premium Member about 7 years ago
Perhaps Axel has an allergy to raw persimmons, judging by the looks of his lips. Either that, or his lips were stuck to a freezing flagpole at one time or another.
jimmjonzz Premium Member about 7 years ago
I had it all wrong. I thought Munchausen was that blood-sugar spike that afflicted Hansel and Gretel after, you know, munching on that house.
Barry1941 about 7 years ago
Or perhaps Mom does not practice proper food safety in the kitchen. Nothing like letting raw chicken sitting out for a few hours.
Wizardgoat about 7 years ago
It’s well known that some physical symptoms, including allergies, may be psychologically caused (psychosomatic, hypochondria). That may help to explain why some symptoms just “clear up” – after childhood, for example. The psychological complexes may not be stirred up so heavily in the person’s consciousness anymore, so the physical symptom clears up. Related to why kids usually have some nightmares, but adults much less often.
Some such complexes, of course, carry over from past lives. Psychiatrist Brian Weiss has looked into this, and written Many Lives, Many Masters.
Jose_Muerte about 7 years ago
This arc makes me want to s……..
Ignatz Premium Member about 7 years ago
I don’t think the problem is that Fay has allergies, but that she has a mother who tells people about her diarrhea when there isn’t even any need to. If she’s “feeling better,” why the need for details?
She also probably has normal illnesses and allergies for a kid her age – no big deal. But a mother who MAKES it a big deal.
TORAD_07 about 7 years ago
OK, so the question for this arc will be, “can Luann reach Fay and have her assert herself, properly (i.e. without the mother pushing back)?” We shall see.Yeah, Munchausen by Proxy might be a concern, but let’s wait. If the Evanses weren’t going to “go there” with Ann, I can’t see them “going there” with Fay’s mom. This might be a KISS moment. Let’s just see what Fay has to say.
GirlGeek Premium Member about 7 years ago
TMI Fay’s Mom…TMI
luann1212 about 7 years ago
Wow, Munchausen by Proxy has been identified by at least 4 or possibly 5 comments so far this morning. I don’t know but Fay seems to be over-mothered in some respects. This is an interesting arc, contrary to some comments here, because it goes into Luann’s development as a giving, emphatic person, an important part of the DeGroot she has been raised to be. I mean she can stand Bernice, Ms. Neurotic Snarky all these Luannverse years, so letting her be such an important to a sweet, preteen young woman is very interesting. It will lead to a very absorbing story I am sure.
raid25nd about 7 years ago
OMG People, it’s just a COMIC… you people need a life…..
fuzzbucket Premium Member about 7 years ago
Fay won’t get to say anything until she has a family of her own. Then she’ll be the one who dominates the conversations of more courteous people.
JayBluE about 7 years ago
Let’s see… Faye’s mom had a checklist of things she wanted to do, today:
1) Spill the beans
2) Let the cat out of the bag
3) Get the canary to sing
4) Don’t forget the kitchen sink
Yep!….I think she tackled the whole list!…
JayBluE about 7 years ago
“Spoken For”
“Number One, With A Bulletin”
“The Mouth Shall Rise, Again!”
“Just Ask My Publicist-er, Mister!”
“Carpooling On The Information Super-Highway”
“Enjoy The Silence….” (♬)
“Tell Her About It” (♬)
“Silence Is Golden” (♬)
“Lock-Step Information”
“You Always Blurt About The Ones You Love” (♩)
“Lipps, Inc” (♩)
“The Blab That Ate All The Lips In Cincinnatti”
“Talking Family Heads”
or
“Parental Discretion Is Ill-Advised”
Schrodinger's Dog about 7 years ago
remarkable that Fay’s mom is willing to leave her for an hour with Luann!
Ignatz Premium Member about 7 years ago
Munchhausen by Proxy would not seem to include a smiling mom saying that the kid is feeling better, since the idea is to attract sympathy by drawing attention to one’s plight.
Luanaphile about 7 years ago
Fay may or may not have serious allergy problems, but the issue so far seems to be an over-functioning parent. When people do that, their “victims” under-function which stunts their emotional growth.
srmalone about 7 years ago
Taking at least a week off from reading the strip. The Luann/Fay thing doesn’t interest me.
JayBluE about 7 years ago
In all seriousness, though, I truly doubt the author had any intentions of “Munchausen by Proxy”. A lot of times, you just have kids who are very discreet or are just quiet in nature, and can and will give out infornmation in their own way and time. But the parents, not seeing the child’s communication process (at least, in terms of ‘to the parent/s own satisfaction’… or perhaps ‘not feeling confident enough in their perception of evidence that their child will “communicate properly/clearly” ’), will feel compelled to ’speak up’ for the child, even before the kid has a chance to open their lips.
-
In other words, some parents just feel it’s their duty to either spell everything out in details (to a kid’s embarrassment) or to just be their general spokesperson (feeling that they are doing it to ‘support’ their quiet kid and to “make way for them, in the world”). I think that’s Fay’s mom. She could be ‘soft in tone’, but just very vocal, in general, and probably is concerned with Fay’s welfare (which could be her motivation, here).
-
They don’t mean any harm, they are just their kid’s biggest enthusiast (and for some, out there, their “loudest”, too).
Schrodinger's Dog about 7 years ago
People need to let their kids eat dirt more often. Sticking stuff in their mouths at an early age introduces a wide range of organisms and improves the body’s immune response.
Luanaphile about 7 years ago
I would like to see this young girl to move from Fay to fey, totally bewildering momma.
old_timey_dude about 7 years ago
Luann is no one’s role model. I hated this storyline before and now I hate it even more. Luann is at least 20 years old and can’t get past the stage where her Mom lectures her on keeping a clean bedroom. Everyone else is maturing around her and yet she never EVER does. To make her any kind of “life coach” is laughable in the extreme and creatively irresponsible on the part of the creators.
Leslie B. about 7 years ago
It’s going to be a brown day.
Pipe Tobacco about 7 years ago
7
Several interesting ideas here today as I take my morning pipe and coffee break:
1. Fay’s Mom is being portrayed to be a “helicopter parent” in today’s effort. However, we will need to wait a bit to really see if this is a consistent behavior pattern for her Mom, or if instead this stomach issue may be of such a serious nature that perhaps the added reminding is warranted.
2. The issues of allergies in the modern world is a very interesting one. I am fortunate to have no known allergies to anything, and it does not seem to run through either my wife nor me or our kids or grand kids, etc.
3. There is a current line of thought in much of the scientific community that suggests that a fairly hefty percentage of the huge number of allergies we currently see may be due to the environment… but not in the way one may assume. It appears that our extensive use of cleaning products and perhaps especially some of the anti-microbial agents (such as triclosan for instance) may be preventing our (especially in childhood) immune responses from developing normally and so when a kid is now exposed to something later than typical in the past…. the immune system overreacts with the allergic reaction.
4. There is some thought that this sort of environmental exposure (or lack thereof) may be an explanation for the rise in autoimmune disorders of a variety of sorts as well.
5. Whether Fay’s Mom is a “helicopter Mom” or not…. she should really be able to realize that giving the “gory” details of Fay’s allergy and her “tum-tum” issues both must be highly embarrassing for Fay. Fay’s Mom could have more discretely said simply that Fay had a rough allergic reaction and that she has some stomach medication…. and left it at that so Fay could add more details if she felt comfortable doing so.
Pipe and coffee are done…. back to work.
someguy3 about 7 years ago
So, anyone notice that this is the 3rd consecutive arc on “things parents do to mess up their kids?”
1) Tiff’s dad who dotes and then suddenly vanishes with his little girly-friend.
2) Ann who abandons and sets a shining example of sleaze.
3) And now Fay’s Mom who plays heli-parent.
Code the Enforcer about 7 years ago
In one respect, I’m empathetic to Fay’s mom – one wonders how many times she’s had to respond to Fay getting sick over this, then that, then another thing – again and again, plus all the obvious trips to the doctor. Having parented my young one, who had some really rough times, especially during public-school years (as health goes, it’s all much better now), I do understand.
HOWEVER, there’s more than just smothering going on here. The mom is WAY overcompensating, plus embarrassing – Saying “Tum-Tum meds” is OK for a six-year old, NOT a 13 year old (Fay’s age, right?). No wonder she’s so shy and withdrawn!
And “Back in an hour” ??? Heck, there are a lot of parents who shuffle their kids off to some activity for HOURS at a time – just to have some Phew!! Time for me! time (be it deserved, or not).
So I’m not that critical of Fay’s mom – it’s better, I guess, to have too much attentiveness, as opposed to too little or out-and-out disregard (trust me). The mom will need to let Fay get out and grow…
Argy.Bargy2 about 7 years ago
Seems to me that if Fay’s mother was very casual about Fay’s allergies, she’d be accused of neglect. If she forgot to mention them to anyone who was taking care of Fay, and the wrong foods were given to Fay, the mother could be arrested for child endangerment.
So, reading all the comments on this board, we can only conclude that mother’s are terrible beings who can never do anything right, and the state should take their kids away immediately and give them to foster homes (where they may or may not be treated with care.) And then when they hit age 18, they are suddenly released and totally on their own.
And of course, according to the combined wisdom of Rongo and Old_Whiney-Dud, any foster home with Luann in it would be totally unacceptable because she ‘s just a bad, bad person. Rongo and Whiney would much prefer the tender mercies of Ann Awful, because she’s a looker, which is what matters. And of course, as soon as she loses the right amount of weight, Tiffphoney, for the same reason.
Good thing this is just a comic and not someone’s real life….
johovey about 7 years ago
And here I was thinking Fay has a ton of emotions to draw from for acting class. Silly me.
yangeldf about 7 years ago
that girl needs to eat some dirt
kenhense about 7 years ago
Axel probably doesn’t have health issues. Maybe we’ll see some miracle – like Axel teaches Fay to skateboard – and her illnesses disappear.
kenhense about 7 years ago
Just thought of a great new arc: No one has heard from Rosa in Peru. Over the December holidays, Tiffany & Gunther fly to Peru to try to find her. That would be a great adventure – two young adults getting away from Mommy & Daddy – and learning about the world and each other.
Sisyphos about 7 years ago
Well-meaning but blabbermouthed mom, not conscious of how sensitive an age this is for Fay and her development as an independent person, can be very hurtful. And she’s saying all this and is only going to be gone for an hour?! Poor Fay. I think I’d have a tummyache, too!
DaveJohn1 about 7 years ago
Notice how most kids are allergic to almost everything? One reason is that we protect them from absolutely everything and their bodies cannot fight ANYTHING. They are sickly because their bodies cannot fight off anything. My dad said I’d eat a peck of dirt in my lifetime so get used to it. I have never been sick in my life because my mom did not molly coddle me.
STACEY MARSHALL Premium Member about 7 years ago
Hyperactive mom, stop treating Fay like an idiot!
Schrodinger's Dog about 7 years ago
maybe this week’s arc will be about visiting an alternative medicine specialist: Des!
Shonkin about 7 years ago
I have a theory about the huge increase in allergies we’re seeing these days.Children in the past 40 years or so have had many more immunizations than previous generations did. (Bear with me — I’m not against immunizations.)An immunization shot has two active components: (1) the antigen, such as a killed virus or bacterium, and (2) an adjuvant, which kicks the immune system into high gear and stimulates antibody production. The modern adjuvants are also a lot more effective than the ones they had 50 years ago; they stimulate an immune response without causing fever, aches, and pains in the victim.Now, adjuvants don’t discriminate. A kid with, for instance, a recent MMR or tetanus shot is exposed to a lot of potential antigens in the normal course of daily life, such as dog or cat dander, peanuts, or pollen. If the kid develops an immune response to one of those things, that is what we call an allergy.Maybe what the medical profession should do is to advise keeping recently-immunized children away from the family pets, peanuts, or whatever for a few days after getting the shot. It might prevent the development of new (and violent) allergies.
someguy3 about 7 years ago
OMG, I just realized something…. Fay’s mom is Bernice grown up!
Pointspread about 7 years ago
I hope she does not mean positive for some disease, I like this character (and dislike her mom).