Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

Tags: remorse, both feel terrible, parenting challenge, parenting, binoculars. Add Tags

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cleokaya said, 4 months ago

This is all a setup for dad to display his artistic side. Acting 101.
Margueritem said, 4 months ago

Well stated, Calvin.
vibjyor said, 4 months ago

That is a shame Calvin ! Pretend ??? aren’t you really feeling bad ?
Ladywolf17 said, 4 months ago

Come on dad have a heart Calvin’s punished himself all day long.
pouncingtiger said, 4 months ago

I should have used that line with my Dad, when I was a kid.
cleokaya said, 4 months ago

Binoculars & Calvin. What isn’t ringing right here?
Ivy0730 said, 4 months ago

“Dad, now you don’t bother to rub your binoculars, cuz I broke them!” Calvins really sorry, tears…
Carmy said, 4 months ago

Oh please, Dad should have known better.
enigmaangel said, 4 months ago

Oh Calvin…. you will be sadly missed!!
rmleon said, 4 months ago

Is Dad mad, or what?
wolfbyte36 said, 4 months ago

Dad settle down Calvin know’s he did wrong. Now you just need to decide on how to disicpline him.
watcha said, 4 months ago

Wow! I actually feel sorry for Calvin……
Wildmustang1262 said, 4 months ago

Calvin, go to your room, now!
Johanan Rakkav said, 4 months ago

Wait until the rest of you see TOMORROW’S strip. :)
Mike B said, 4 months ago

Dad’s pay attention here.
cdward said, 4 months ago

For once, Calvin speaks sincerely and truthfully.
cymbol said, 4 months ago

You have to feel sorry for the little guy, just look at that tear!

I’ve been lurking for months, thought maybe I should pop in for a change. Hi everyone!
stinkfoot said, 4 months ago

That’s a switch,way to use your head Calvin. We as, adults could take a lessen.
jackrabbit said, 4 months ago

this kid is smart, if not a great actor
Sebastian Van Uytfange said, 4 months ago

This is an opening to insert a big cliche of ‘educational’ cartoons right here. The parent goes “I’m not going to punish you, you’ll have to live with it.” or something along those lines. To which the kid practically begs the parent to punish him. Never works in real life. Ever.
Melissa Tempke said, 4 months ago

There’s nothing wrong with Calvin that a good old-fashioned, pants-down over-the knee Paddling won’t cure real quick!!
madampresident said, 4 months ago

I remember when I was young. I was sitting with my dad and he was lecturing me about something I did wrong. “Didn’t you know that if you did this you would get in trouble.” “Yeees,” I said. The veins in his temple were throbbing and his face turned almost purple. “then why did you do it?” his voice was getting louder and he looked like Calvin’s dad, above. My answer “because I wanted to.” He threw his hands up and said “I don’t know, I just don’t know.” I really thought I was going to end up in prison one day, but by the time we got this far he gave up on punishment. The thing is that I still remember it so maybe that was punishment enough.
Macushlalondra said, 4 months ago

Look at Dad’s face in the first frame! He’s fixing to have apoplexy! But I agree with those of you who say it’s his fault for loaning the binoculars to Calvin. He should have gotten Calvin a cheapo pair of his own and kept the $600 ones in a safe so Calvin couldn’t get to them.
TapiocaHead said, 4 months ago

..just a little respect Calvin, just a little ….
BC13 said, 4 months ago

Thar she blows! If I were his dad, he wouldn’t be sitting for 40 days & 40 nights. Or no allowance til the binoculars are paid for.
sundaram_gayathri said, 4 months ago

Calvin?! Poor dad .. don’t you even have a wee bit of respect for him?
cleokaya said, 4 months ago

cymbol - Hello and welcome.
Madruga said, 4 months ago

@ Ivy0730Lcsq: LOL..would’ve been a good statement…always think positive!
Rmom said, 4 months ago

I also agree with those of you who say it’s his fault for loaning the binoculars to Calvin. When my sons were that age, I would never let them handle something worth $600 unless they were in my sight (and probably within my reach) the whole time.
Of course, it gets more expensive when they start learning to drive. When they only have a learner’s permit, we’re in the vehicle with them on the road, but on our own property, not always. Our oldest son creamed the hot tub, tore up the SUV, while backing up to the deck (we say he thought “R” meant “race”). Just this weekend, the youngest put a dent in the minivan, trying to get it in the garage. The oldest was upset, since he drives the van to college. I had to remind him that he had a similar (and more expensive) wreck in his younger years, just so he’d quit ragging on his youngest brother. Thankfully, in neither accident was anyone hurt. People are more important than property - or at least they should be.
pibfan868 said, 4 months ago

Since he broke them by tossing them up in the air while running I’d say he doesn’t have respect for other’s property—but maybe he’s getting it now.
Joie said, 4 months ago

That one tear says it all…. I hope that Dad pauses for a second and takes a good look at Calvin. Though, I don’t think he will ever learn….. but hey, who am I to judge?
Wiseguy411 said, 4 months ago

Pretend ?

What was last week all about ???
SQUIDBREAKER said, 4 months ago

No worse than destroying the Law.

Cheer up Calvin!
Paul M. said, 4 months ago
PRETEND “Let’s pretend dad… NO how about let’s spank your butt for real!

And Rakkav I wonder if I could ask you a favor… ? Could you please FORGO ~Which the Definition of is:
1. to give up the enjoyment or advantage of : do without
That which you feel gives you the rite to give advaced information on the goings on in Calven and Hobbe’s world.

Thank You So Very Much,

Paul
grammahotsho said, 4 months ago

RAAmom makes a valid point. He didn’t take them without asking and he’s mortified. The consequences that have taken place in his little mind and heart are enough! My biggest issues are deliberate disobedience, hurting someone else (and feelings are included), lying, and stealing. Stuff happens and if you’re a parent you’d better be prepared to deal with it wisely!
grazer said, 4 months ago

”…don’t need to rub it in” ??—Calvin, you’re lucky if yer dad don’t rub you out.

I think they BOTH should be grounded for a month.
bald 716 said, 4 months ago

dad should have known better than to give calvin the binoculars with his past screw ups

welcome to the nut house cymbol
youarekidding said, 4 months ago

This was sooo out of character for the father {allowing the use of the binoculars)! Mom needs to give him ‘the what for’. And Soon.
notinksanymore said, 4 months ago

Calvin is only five years old. He had no idea how much binoculars cost. He probably doesn’t even really understand the value of six hundred dollars. They should have bought him a pair of toy binoculars for his own. Then if he breaks them, its just “too bad, you don’t get another pair” and that is punishment enough.
BC13 said, 4 months ago

notinksanymore, Calvin knows the value of money even at his young age. If you read the strips leading to this one, he freaked when he enquired about the cost of replacing the binoculars.
ratlum said, 4 months ago

Calvin you should have told Mom so she could intervene on your behave
Tabby Lynn said, 4 months ago

I think Poor Calvin has torchered his self enough. I deal with some pretty bad little boys everyday. the middle child tossed the youngest off the sofa and made his head blead. He felt so bad seeing his brother hurt and seeing the bload made him relise just how bad he hurt him. he was crying bc he was going to get in trouble, but later that day he told me he felt bad and he was sorry. i know as a kid i punished myself several times. its just something that kids go threw. but dad should have known better then that.
GretchensMom said, 4 months ago

As Suze Orman would say:

“First people … then money … then things.”

While I agree that, yes, Calvin SHOULD have been more careful when it came to his father’s binoculars (whether he knew how expensive they were or not), dad needs to remember that Calvin is just a 5 (or 6) year-old little boy … HIS little boy … and he should have known better then to let him play with them to begin with! Therefore, DAD needs to ALSO take responsibility for having made that bone-headed decision in the first place, knowing (or at least suspecting) what COULD have happened by saying “yes” to his son’s wanting to use them no matter HOW much he promised he’d be careful with them.

You can tell by his tearful, stricken expression that Calvin is very sorry for having broken them and probably feels as though he’s lost his father’s love and respect forever over this mistake. Continuing to lecture and yell at the child is only going to further traumatize him. I think the fear and guilt he’s been feeling ever since it happened has probably been (almost) punishment enough.

I’m not so sure that if I were dad, I wouldn’t just go ahead and take FULL responsibility for what happened and replace them myself (because, after all, he gave his son permission to use them) but by doing so, I’d also be afraid that that would send Calvin the wrong message, giving him the impression that it doesn’t matter what you do or how you treat something (whether it’s yours or someone else’s), that if it just happens to get broken then no punishment (other than a loud, stern lecture) will come of it. If he doesn’t fear “death” at what he’s done then he won’t feel any remorse for having done it; therefore, it’s okay. He absolutely needs to know that there are consequences to such irresponsible actions. Therefore, I would tell Calvin that in order to make it up to me, he’ll be paying for them a little bit at a time each week out of his allowance until they’re paid for. Then, I’d let the subject drop and would never mention it again. Hopefully, Calvin will remember this experience and be more careful with other peoples’ belongings in the future.

(P.S.: I’d only charge him half the price, $300.00, without telling him so, of course, then put what he gives me in an interest-bearing savings account for his college education someday.)
nyer73 said, 4 months ago

i actually shed a lil bit of a tear after seeing calvin’s expression.. after that i am pretty sure he will take this lesson to heart for the rest of his life.. to take better care of things especially when they are not his own..
JamHickm11 said, 4 months ago

Been there, done that. Sorry to say.
unemandarine said, 4 months ago

Oh Calvin i feel for you! Good luck.
alexhuama said, 4 months ago

así son los papas de irresponsables
carpetinwater9 said, 4 months ago

Atta Boy Calvin, Now you are in control of your future!
Tigger said, 4 months ago

Way to defuse dad, Calvin!
Shikamoo said, 4 months ago

I think Calvin really is soory. Dad shouldn’t expect a little kid to be careful without supervision.

But hey! It’s only pretend, right? This is funnier. Ha-ha!