For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 16, 2019

how will you know, El? ’tis an ongoing process

You will know you have passed when Michael applies the same parenting techniques you used for him on his own children and they have they same success with Michael as they did for you.

When he says “I love you, mom.”, you’ll know.

You know when Micheal is married and has his own family and you get to spoil the grand kids.

When they are out of the house and self-supporting. And not in jail or evil.

I am pretty sure you receive your midterm grade when they leave home and your final exam is when they have children of their own.

He’ll test your patience.

When he knows you’re not trying to be his “friend”.

Lynn’s Comments:

Oh, I passed. Now that my kids are 46 and 41, I can check off the boxes…and I passed.

There is no final exam… just a lot of surprise quizzes!

When he raises children who become functioning adults.

If, he visits you in an old age home.. you passed… unless there is a substantial estate.. then it’s a toss-up.

Oh, you’ll know, Ellie. Some day he’ll do or say something and you’ll know you done good.

Sometime in my mid 30’s, as I was giving some juvenile miscreant “_The Look and The Point_”, I realized… Oh my god, I’ve become my old man!

I called him and told him. He laughed and asked: " What took you so long? "

I was only half-kidding when I once told my parents that all the things that they thought they’d done correctly, in raising me, were wrong, but all the mistakes they thought they made, were actually the best things they could have done. Now that my own kids are grown with children of their own, I realize how true that was.

When you’re about 25.

I guess, in part, when you see what kind of man he turns out to be.

Elly is a dropout. She can drop out of this too and forget about “passing”, just like she did with forgetting about getting a good education.

Never.

When he’s dead on the floor…jus kidding.