For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for February 07, 2013

Never thought to leave a spare key under the mat, did they? (Hi, everyone, “backwards MORMON” here. Sorry I’ve absent for a about week. My profile went screwy somehow. So “templo SUD” my new GoComics name from now on.)

You laugh, but I’ve taught in schools where that’s the first thing kids check.

This happened to our son (a high school student) the other day. Forgot his key and had to stay warm in the garage for a couple of hours till we got home. Won’t do that again.

One time we came home from the store, finding my son outside waiting (he was about 15) during the summer. He complained that he had to wait outside without anything to drink. I pointed out the water hose to him….

It is amazing, they can forget their key, but always remember the cell phone.

When my husband was 17 he went to visit his father in Europe for a few weeks. When he got home he found out that his mother had sold the house and moved out of state, left his stuff & his car at a friend’s house, and was gone without so much as telling him.

Nothing like leaving your child out in the cold while you’re in a nice warm library, huh Ellie?

Stay outside Mike and go play in the snow. It’’ll do you some major good.

I gave my 11 yr old daughter a key to keep in her backpack. When my son turned 11 I would not give one to him. He is much less responsible with his things. I would not trust Mike with a key either.

You need some kind of option rather than leaving them out in the cold (or hot). If she or his dad will not be home when he gets home they need to give him a key. If he is irresponsible it may be partly due to a lack of parental skills. I think Michael would be responsible enough, he seems rather mature for his age most of the time.

It’s sad how things have changed. When I got home from school, the door was not locked. It was never locked because “someone in the family might need to come in and get something to eat”. ><>mePS. That was in the 1950’s.

does it look vacuumed?

We wore the key around our necks.

…..yes give a key to the kids …..and now they seem to all have cell phones so no problem

My daughter was locked out in second grade. It was MN cold and she was well bundled up but needed the bathroom, and I dawdled half an hour. She was pissed at me and rightly so. We hid a key, but I never was late again.

How long has she had her new job? Not long. And she already forgets she has a son to get home to? He isn’t very old, not old enough to 1) be given a key 2) more importantly, be left home alone!

Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s we had a key, but also had one at a neighbor’s house in case of emergency. I had to go the neighbor’s many times, so it was a good idea.

I came home a coupld times to find my parents gone. I had to wait outside in the cold for them to return. Finally they gave me a key with keychain to go with it.

I worked at a home for abused and abandoned children. Many of them had gone to school and come home to find their mother/father had moved away with no clue where they had gone.

guess we live in a “weird” part of san diego … we still leave our house unlocked all the time, though my daughter has a key …. my son is always with us, so he hasn’t needed one … of course, if someone broke in, we wouldn’t know if they took anything, unless they cleaned up first. Sure indication there if they could find anything worthy to take!