Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for November 12, 2021

Speaking of having children, I foresee this storyline being college-age before there’s any real movement on it.

”Adoption’s An Option.” ✨

Making a baby isn’t fun..well a little

Take that, Brad haters.

More like… “I’m afraid she’ll wake up one day and realize she could have done way better than me. If we have no kids, nothing will stop her from easily leaving me”.

Why are they answering for each other?

Don’t you just love it when someone speaks for you? No!

Okay.

So Toni is not afraid of actually having a baby. She’s avoiding having one because SHE had a “bad childhood.” Well THAT didn’t stop your brother Jonah, did it, Toni? Sorry, but your argument is just a tad lame.

There’s an old saying that applies here: “YOUR mileage may vary.” Just because Toni had a bad childhood, doesn’t mean that any child you bring into the World will also have a “bad childhood.” Besides, Toni just now admitted that Brad would make a great dad, for cripes sake.

One MORE darn thing about this “bad childhood” stuff. Les Knox had a “bad childhood” and the guy living like a king, rent and consequences-free. If anything, having a “bad childhood” in this Strip is a plus.

So Toni, quit stalling grab Brad by the hair and get BUSY before Shannon shows up.

I just love Brad’s expression in the last panel.

My main problem with this arc from the beginning that they were not speaking to each other i see progress being made.

Now they re eating in their dress uniforms. Supper couldn’t wait five minutes while they changed into casual clothes? And Brad answering for Toni and vice versa is certainly weird. TJ asked Toni a direct question and Brad answered. Does Brad answer all questions put to Toni? Finally if TJ really were a bar manager he would know better than to gt into the middle of an argument between two drunks. When will the real “Luann” be published here?

Someone in here called it. S/he quoted quite closely to what both said about each other. Toni has not been able to move on from her past. It is too ingrained. Can she heal? That’s the question. Is she just too wounded to ever move on? Is she feeling that her niece is enough? As for Brad, can he love Toni enough to heal her? If TJ is wise, he would advise Toni to seek counseling for herself first then marriage counseling for both. Yes, it would be much easier if they just call it and part ways. It is much tougher to stay together and be committed to counseling. If their love is strong enough, their marriage might survive and possibly survive having children if that’s what they decide on.

Actually, it’s kind of sweet how they are answers for each other and are spot on with the replies.

There is no evidence that Brad will be a good father, For the first 20 years of his life he was a lazy slob, a couch potato par excellence. The time Brad was watching Shannon at the DeGroot house (And why was that) when Luann also said he would be a great father all he was doing was cleaning up Shannon’s messes one after another. He wasn’t trying to guide Shannon in how not to make a mess, or teach her to clean up after herself. He was a zombie father. If he became a father his neglect would create just another Shannon.

Eating black food and drinking black wine is no fun, either. What went wrong, TJ?

TJ the marriage counselor, parenting adviser, babysitter, cook, and do everything but breast feed the kid. Give me a break.

C’mon TJ. You’ll have to do better than that to get a bit of fierce argument going.

No instruction from TJ.but having them speak through the other about each other is brilliant. So Brad says Toni’s lines while Toni, Brad’s. The end seems to lean toward them trying. It’s not as if they don’t know how, but it’s Toni’s body, her choice.

I always thought the reason had more to do with her career. They are currently saving for a house. Yes Toni can still work as a fire fighter in the field for a while but eventually that just isn’t really feasible. So maybe she wants to be able to move out before thinking about adding another person under their roof.

On the flip side, Paul Anka had a song:

.

♫ Havin’ my baby, what a funny way of tellin’ me that we gotta get married… ♪

Impasse; waiting for the fear to pass.

At least they are listening.

TJ said that is not funny, but he’s smiling a little saying it. He loves his friends! Nice to see how Toni and Brad are understanding each other ♡. They are a great couple with a very strong bond.

Hmm, maybe TJ should get them to knock back a bit more the wine and perhaps bring down a top shelf bottle for some after dinner cocktails to get these 2 to lighten up and quit answering TJ’s questions for each other. Personally I think Brad could use a couple of doubles to loose up a bit.

Toni and Brad do have great arguments for becoming parents.

Is TJ a bar manager? I thought he owned and operated a small, fine-dining cafe within a club that mostly caters to people too young to drink? I guess the ongoing redefinition of the characters’ occupations is hitting him too after we’ve moved Luann from “casual day care volunteer” to “full time teacher.”

They are answering each other’s questions!

I thought they were having ribs for dinner? Last I checked, you have to pick those up with your hands and eat them…

Why is Brad answering for Toni? A sign of a controlling person.

Brad Degroot was a total layabout slob (young adolescent) who belittled his sister. He became motivated and rehabilitated when he meet Toni.

You’re right. It isn’t. What’s Luann doing?

So they do want kids after all.

Tomorrow’s strip will go like this:

1st panel: Toni standing in the bathroom.

2nd panel: Toni looks at a pee stick.

3rd panel: Toni’s eyes are wide open

Monday we start a new story arc

I hate it when someone answers for me. It’s rude.

Toni does have a valid point in her first assessment. Both her and Brad Love being fire fighters. while there is risk in everything, having two parents who are both running in to burning structures will little’s at home is a REALLY bad idea.

Agree with TJ (via GnK). No fun. Only one more day to go.

“Toni, tell me why you don’t want kids.”

…Brad answers. While it’s cool they know each other well enough to answer for each other, in a situation like that, let the questionee speak.

Nothing to do with nine months of bloat and barf followed by labor and years of infant care as the default caregiver.

Hey, it’s what married couples do. Especially if they’re soulmates.

If you wait til you can afford children before you have them…you never will.

So they’re answering each other’s questions. Not exactly progress.

He got straight honest answers which he did not expect.

So TJ is now playing marriage counselor. However, he has succumbed to a counselor’s most basic error. He did not ask “Brad. Why do you think Toni doesn’t want to have a child?” He asked Toni.

If this were REALITY and the responses given were REAL. Brad’s answer for Toni makes no sense. She wants to WAIT to have kids because she comes from a hard life. Why would waiting to have kids change her view of her hard past; a past detrimental to raising children? Waiting will not change her past.

Given Toni’s understanding of Brad’s upbringing (per her statement) she says more about why she chose Brad over Dirk and not so much about a desire to start their own family together. If he’s such a great potential paterfamilias she should have no misgivings about starting a family.

So TJ has one day to resolve this issue, but more likely he’ll take the smart route and butt out. Maybe next week we’ll see Toni & Nancy have a good girl-to-girl talk about raising kids?

But anyhow, as they say, this is only a cartoon marriage in a cartoon strip with cartoon love. So hilarity will prevail. Eh? Luann1212?

We’re at an impasse.

Move on!

Getting boring

How about how it just might really mess up her career as a firefighter?

I haven’t read all the comments, so I may be repeating something that’s already been said. Regardless of her deeper reasonings, Toni is being the smart one on this issue. Why is Brad in such a hurry when we all know what having children does for the intimate time couples have for each other? No More Nookie! Never mind the fact that BOTH of their careers are going to be affected, and should Toni decide to forgo hers to care for the child, their income is going to be cut in half.

From their replies it’s obvious they’ve had this discussion before. The question is who will cave? If it’s a typical comic strip Toni will find herself accidentally pregnant and Brad will find a way to gradually ease her fears and both will be happy with the outcome. Many women who have valid reasons for not wanting children do change their minds. If it is a fear of the past and trust issues, often this can be overcome. Not always. But often enough. In my case, my reasons could not be overcome so I was careful to find someone who’s values of a happy marriage reflected mine. I have been so blessed in this regard. To have or not have children is an important lifestyle choice and everyone’s feelings should be respected and taken seriously.

As a consulting hypnotist, I frequently get couples who want me to fix their marriage. I point out that nowhere on my wall does any of the certificates say “Drama Coach”. I explain that their money is better spent on a trained, marriage counselor.

TJ is a lousy marriage counselor. The first thing he needs to point out is that Brad and Toni are answering for each other. That’s never a good thing.

Major accomplishment in any marriage – they understand each other.

because for starters, we can’t even speak for ourselves, much less negotiate whether or not to start a family and when.

why are they each answering for the other? Brad should let Toni speak for herself. I believe Toni thinks she would not be a good mother but she has already proven that she can be. I remember the time when she and Shannon built a maze on the wall for for the class hamster. She could have been the grumpy type who would say “No… we can ruin the wall… etc.”. be she just jumped right in and they taped cardboard tubes from rolls of paper towels (unfurled) all across the wall.

Fun for me! They both totally got where the other is coming from and haven’t gotten into a fight about it once.

Having children is something that BOTH people need to be onboard with happening. Lord knows there’s enough peer pressure (when are you going to start having kids?), parent pressure (so when are you going to give us grandchildren?), and various nonsense (you’re not truly a woman until you have a child. B.S.!). You need to be true to yourself – don’t have a baby just because “well, I guess I should”. I’m 64 now, never had children (by choice) and I’ve never regretted my decision.

keep em barefoot and pregnant

Toni is built like a brick wall and is absolutely fearless on the job.

So I think readers just don’t get it when she’s hesitant about ANYTHING.It looks like a split personality.

But it makes her more human.

Meanwhile,Shannon’s mail order package from Los Alamos has arrived…..

“Baby Talk”

“He Said ‘She Said’; She Said ‘He Said’!”

“Spoken For”

“Interest Of Conflict”

“Resolve For ‘Why?’ "

You have each other – neither of you forget that.

Let’s let Shannon make the final decision.Ask her if she wants a little brother.

Ok, I stand corrected on the “no discussion” comment yesterday.

As I stated when this arc started, Toni needs to see a therapist to address her crap childhood.

Actually, I hope she doesn’t have a kid like he was!

most excellent

They know each other so well that they answer each other’s Questions.

This just makes me cringe. TJ should not be involved at all, and one or both of those two should tell him so. Answering for each other is not loving or cute. Perhaps when I was 14 or so, I would have imagined this to be a scene of a caring friend helping out a loving couple, but as a retired former wife, I see nothing but trouble in this approach. As many have said, Toni and Brad should have had this discussion before getting married. (Maybe they partially did – and people can change their minds). But in any case, having it now by speaking for each other in answer to ANYONE outside the marriage, besides a marriage counselor, is asking for trouble.

And I do know that it’s a comic strip, and that’s what makes it better! G&K can do as many “cringeworthy” stories as they like, and I’ll keep reading!

This is cloying, at best. TJ has no business in this strip!

Draw a line on both sides of Brad’s chin and you’ve got Toni’s ventriloquist dummy.

How to envision the future:

The best possibility versus the worst possibility.

(There are other ways, but they are not in play here.)

The stronger the bond, the more easily one partner can speak for the other. It is something I hope everyone gets to experience at some point as it is very endearing and not the least bit rude within the context of a healthy relationship. Also, they trust their friend enough to be open with him like this, even if his “fun” is spoiled by the lack of any conflict he can help resolve. This strip was actually rather sweet, if you think about it.