Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for September 06, 2022

I can see Calvin working a control board because he loves to push buttons.

I can tell another word on the list is “hypocrite”.

good job, Calvin

Hopefully “dramatic” isn’t on that list.

Smart kid

That must be an interesting list. I hope he saves it for his future therapy sessions. Or for those of his parents.

If he keeps it up, his rear end will be dysfunctioned.

Kids are born with the ability to pick out the one word a parent might say that he/she doesn’t want repeated.

And those words just might land you in the ER, Calvin!!

Trigger words that spark controversy….Oy

A few decades later and there would be a whole lot more!

That’ll work, Pig, that’ll work.

There goes Calvin again with his six-year-old vocabulary.

Adding an eye roll with the delivery gets you bonus reaction, like steam coming out of mom’s ears.

Remember Andy DeFraine calling the warden “obtuse” in “The Shawshank Redemption?” Calvin’s on his way.

I wonder if someone is actually keeping a list of “hot button” words? Sort of like Carlin’s list of 7.

Looks like she functioned quite effectively.

Calvin puts the fun in dysfunctional

Might try the ones that get a good reaction, Calvin.

No matter the word it’s still the same reaction.

I actually used this line – along with Calvin’s “and a checkmark for today” – with my mum all the time :)

Still a favourite strip of mine

…not unlike Dysfunctional Family Circus.

Dysfunction junction, what’s your function?

Don’t clap at me, Mom.

Kids do pick up these things. I was on the Larkspur Ferry and there were a group of pre-teenagers playing on the deck. One of them stubbed his toe and the oldest girl called to the others, “Come on, everyone. Circle round. Let’s give him therapy.”

I asked, “Are you kids by any chance from Marin [County]?”

“Oh, no, we’re from New York.” said the oldest girl.

Her shocked friend immediately spoke, “We really are from Marin.”

Splitting atoms gets a reaction too, Calvin.

LOL… He is pushing Mom to utter those dreaded words… ’You want me to get your Father involved?"

If he tries to add the word “obtuse” to the list , he’ll get thrown in the hole for a month.

If Calvin grew up in my house, he would find the “reaction” to be rather undesirable! And he would keep his little “list of words” between Hobbes and himself!

Continuing last week’s strip about language manipulation, I see.

Calvin, you have bucket full of words which make a reaction, alright. Love to see you play with toys like a true six year old.

One might call it practical parenting!