For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for March 10, 2022

or get a dog

Ouch! Sometimes I forget how this comic strip takes shots at women who want careers. The real problem here is that Molly is in her first year of college and Gayle is her last year of high school. Darn that college and that desire for careers. Connie wants a baby to snuggle.

What, Connie? You’ve never thought to mosey over next door and grab April off Elly’s hands and snuggle with her? Well, April is nearly 2 and not a baby to snuggle with. She is mobile and into everything. My granddaughter just turned 3, just out of her touch-and-grab stage. She will still grab one item that interests her and bring it to me. I take her back to the item’s home and put it back, making sure she sees that it belongs there and not for her to mess around with. Sigh…I have a 6-month-old grandson who is about to crawl. He’ll be my granddaughter all over again. I decorated my home, finally, to what I always wanted it to be after my sons left home. It was short-lived. My older son started a family a year after the wedding so I had to go back to a child-friendly house since I babysit my grandchildren, 3 of them, often. Too bad Elly and John’s parents live far away. Connie could be a surrogate grandma.

Connie’s suffering from Empty Nest Syndrome.

Connie never felt that way when Lawrence was little and she spent her time chasing Phil!!

Exactly! I’ve always said that one of the best forms of birth control is having to be around other peoples kids..

El, hit it right on the head. Connie can provide El’s mother’s day off time.

No. Anyone who is thinking of having a baby should be forced to look after two hormonal teenegers for a month. Now THATS birth control!

Not many prospective parents seriously consider how badly a child can go. Terrible birth defects are thankfully uncommon but it are still a real possibility. I have mentioned our oldest, who is living with us and will probably not ever be able to live on his own. Moderately severe asthma had fewer treatment options in those days so he was prednisone dependent from age 6-13. It devastated his body. It was no good for our finances, either; 3 months in National Jewish Hospital in Denver to get him stable without prednisone resulted in a bill for eight times what we had paid for our first house, but the hospital got insurance and SSI to pay for all but $3000 of it.

Intractable behavior problems are even more common. Our neighbors across the street had a five year old girl with distinct psychopathic traits; just one of her stunts was dragging the garden hose into the house early one morning and flooding several rooms. It is amazing children are still considered desirable.

My late loving wife’s Aunt had 2 daughters who got pregnant very young and the fathers were also about 17. Keep an eye on Lawrence.

When my sister was thinking of starting a family and asked us for advice, we said come over. We’ll show you how to take care of the the baby, then we’ll go stay at a hotel downtown for a get away weekend. So they did. When we got back on Sunday, we asked how did it go? They said, “When we were changing Brian, we took off the old diaper, wiped him down, and then played with him like we saw you guys do. We forgot to lay the new diaper on him and got a shower!!” We said, “Well now you know, never ever leave a boy baby naked.”

I’ve got it. Open the “I Care Day Care” for toddlers. Folks can drop off their kids for a few hours of peace and quiet.

If she borrows April, those feeling will disappear fast. Smart move, Elly.

Is Lawrence the one that’s gay?

Well,the grandkids will be an unrealized dream.

On the bright side,CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN is on TV tonight.

She does.

She could adopt

… or Connie could volunteer at a hospital’s nursery and be a “cuddling grandma” for an hour or two every week.

Once again, Elly’s trying to dump her responsibility off on SOMEONE ELSE!

The perfect suggestion, Elly. April will be glad to explore this new face.

All these changes. First Dawn Enjo is Turning Red, now this.

Volunteer at a Church or a children’s center.

Another idea could be where Elly learns of Candace’s attention grabbing at school and how Elizabeth learned nothing except for that one grammar class. She could be discussing that as some of the problem with today’s kids.

Elly: “What a waste of time of money these public schools are for Elizabeth and our kids. Connie, you pay taxes, aren’t you outraged?”

Dog be better. For me I have adult kids boy and girl, girl has man no children, son mostly a loaner no woman. No grand kids. 3 dogs yes.

Then you better not hold your breath, Connie (at least in Lawerence’s case).

Jeez, doesn’t it ever stop? You already raised kids! Go volunteer somewhere.

Lawrence will have plenty of kids at the sleepovers at his Neverland Ranch.

I can’t stand people who think it is their “right” to expect, and especially to try to lay guilt trips on, their kids to produce grandchildren.

We always tend to crave what we don’t have or what someone else has. The old saying applies here: “Be careful what you ask for because you just may get it!”