You also have to consider the environment “home” is. Are there other non family member adults there who wouldn’t want to leave the kids with? Abusive, drugs or other criminal behavior.
They are not strangers, they are family members of a friend of Luann and Bernice who is having to head to the hospital. I would be disappointed in my kids if they didn’t offer to help.
Because it’s called humor? It is a comic strip.