For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for May 17, 2012

Good thing Elizabeth didn’t DRINK Uncle Phil’s beer.

A warning for married couples who want kids.

…scratch the brother…What woman would want a confirmed bachelor with such rooted behavorial issues???

There are seven kids and one coming at my place and it’s not that bad… when I grow up I’m going to have a lot of litle kiddies!!

Oh come on. Kids aren’t that hard. Yes, they’re a lot of work, but they’re a lot of fun too. Sure, you’ll have to put your valuables out of the way and watch them closely for a while. But watching them grow up and turn into independent people is so cool. Anyway, if you’re so concerned about a trumpet, then you’re not ready for a kid.

To men, kids are preferable on swings than in home…less responsibility and work for them, as with everything else

The best contraceptive ever is other people’s children

I wonder if he’s more concerned about the trumpet or the beer?

Just for what it is worth, everyone needs to remember that the trumpet is Phil’s meal ticket. It is how he makes his living. This is not some “little hobby” for him. Being without his horn means no income. His concern is entirely practical and believable.

Wasting the beer is definitely “alcohol abuse”. This boy is starting out too young!

The beer can be cleaned out if it’s done right away. I never heard of anybody playing a trumpet while chewing gum. Please keep beer out of reach of children, especially when you have valuable music gear around. I hope he learned his lesson..

I got a marble stuck in my trumpet bell. Had to take it and have every hole pluged up, before applying a high pressure air hose. I was told it shot out of there like it was a blunderbuss.

Kids, dogs, and horses – you just have to be smarter than the beasts to train them. I was good with 2 out of 3!

What really scares me is that there is open beer around a young kid. Like mentioned before, what if she had drunk the beer?! Maybe Elly can have a talk with Phil about drinking around such a young child…..

I can see this strip has prompted the ‘parenting/non-parenting’ debate. There are too many opinions here to be argued whether parenting is a joy or a burden. So I’ll keep it short and to the point—-I’m a Childfree. ’Nuff said.

I don’t think Elizabeth is very fond of Uncle Phil. (He probably smells funny to her)

Good ideal Phil

Like I mentioned yesterday, Lizzie’s bored. Elly should have remembered to bring crayons and paper with her for Lizzie to draw with. The visit could have been a lot smoother if she had.

When his first born was very young, my son-in-law showed up at a grocery store late one evening, looking all whiskery and bleary eyed. He was buying a big pack of newborn diapers. A young man, who was with a young woman, was looking all pleased with himself and buying a six-pack of beer. He took one look at my son-in-law and put the beer back!

For what it’s worth, this is my viewpoint: It’s Phil’s house – not Elly’s. If she arrives without calling first, I see no reason that Phil should put anything he owns out of reach of a young child, just on the chance that she might visit unexpectedly. Elly should have called and asked if it was an okay time to visit. You can’t expect everyone to child-proof their house because you just might pop in without notice.

Kids have no sense of value. One time we held a garage sale, and father-in-law had some guitars to sell. They were propped up against the side of the house. One kid just walked over and turned on the faucet (apparently to see if it worked) filling one of the guitars. Moms response – “Come on Johnny – time to go!”

Sis isn’t teaching Elizabeth respect for her elders, to call her brother Phil instead of Uncle Phil. Just sayin…. ;)

I’m with ‘goweeder’. It’s Phil’s place. Childfree-singles don’t have to child-proof their digs. And let’s face it, a parent has to keep their attention on their smaller children at all times, hence the interruptions in yesterday’s strip.

I agree with all those who think Liz was wrong. My 4 kids were just about a year apart, but I always kept them out of mischef when out with me. I cannot say the same for children of friends who visited and sometimes even grandkids of one of my children. I agree that once we no longer have little children we should NOT be required to have child-proof homes.

Well, yesterday Elly was criticized for not paying enough attention to what Phil was saying, today she is criticized for not paying enough attention to her kid while at Phil’s house. Can’t win can she? It would never have occured to Phil to “kidproof” the house even if he knew Elly was coming over with the toddler. Stuff happens when kids are around and if you don’t have them, you don’t always know what to expect.