For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for December 03, 2009

You have THAT many thoughts?

Wow, and Mike is off on the road to making money.

Five bucks! Mike you should double it.

I agree, JAD. My daughter tried to get 50 cents out of me yesterday, and was unhappy when I wouldn’t just give it to her. When I buy them books at the book fair, I even make them earn those. Granted, my oldest daughter would jump through hoops for books.

lightenup - I used to go across Toronto (sometimes 20km) just to get a book I wanted THAT DAY, and not wait for it to be brought to the Library in 3 days. Now, I don ‘t have much time to read, because I work 8.5/hr day, travel on the bus 3 hrs, and sleep another 7 which doesn’t leave me much time to do anything at all … Comics and news is what I read, and that is on my PDA.

Allan Claus, you travel by bus? Are your reindeer on strike? (jk)

Michael has learned to be selfish, and have a one track mind from his mother.

I remember once when I was living with my sister, my nephew, who was being grounded, asked me if I wanted something from the store. I said yes, so he went to his mother, my sister, and said, “Uncle Ron want’s me to go to the store”. Them kids are shrewd.

Some good parenting from John. I think we will try to do much the same. When I was a kid, I learned to jump at the chance to work for money. Everybody wins, since an 8 year old can clean the house for a tiny fraction of the cost of a housekeeper

Poor Mike, hit with reality at age 5 and gives it a last try before he’ll eventually give in like the rest of us that you have to work to get what you want.

I think we’re taking this too seriously. I don’t know a kid who hasn’t asked their parents for stuff. The dad’s got the right attitude of giving the kid an opportunity to earn it. It’s not really fair to the mom to blame her for the boy doing what all kids do. And in this case, it doesn’t say she gave into him, only asked him for his thoughts.

When I was a kid my brother and I were very enterprising. We’d shovel snow for money, wash the car, do extra chores besides our own to earn a few bucks. Money means more when you’ve had to earn it. Good for John to teach Michael a very important lesson.

Love how Mike’s eyes on the fourth panel matches Elly’s on the last! Family resemblance

Sounds like my grandson.

Macushlalondra:

some of the things i did as a kid for money shovel snow, cut lawns, walk dogs, pet sit rake leaves, shop for an elderly neighbor, got a paper route(which now are people who have cars) collect soft drink bottles

I wonder why he needed the $5, $3 or $1?

Susie betted Calvin 5¢ to see him eat five worms.

Calvin’s father said he’d pay Calvin $1 to pick up sticks off the lawn than eat a bucket of bugs.

So just like Michael Patterson here, what Calvin would’ve done with $1.05?

mrslukeskywalker said, about 10 hours ago Michael has learned to be selfish, and have a one track mind from his mother.

Why does the selfish/one track mind have to have come from his mother?!? John has shown more of these tendancies on many more occasions than Elly has!

And back to the strip… I think there should have been another panel inserted (between 3 and 4) where Mike is shown sitting at the table with a downcast face, with Elly in the background just noticing him sitting there. That way, when you get to the next panel, he suddenly has the big round eyes that indicate his “lightbulb moment” as he realises “Wow! I could make some $$$ here!” ….just my take :o)

Openwings, you’re idea would probably make the strip funnier. I say probably, because its an opinion. Makes sense though. Its looking like it might snow tonight.