For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for September 27, 2012

No wonder Michael can’t find his Teddy.

Just be thankful your daughter is still playing with dolls….

Kids grow up so fast! Enjoy them while you can. The alone time will be there again soon enough!

@SUSAN NEWMAN: Your question about parents regret having kids was dealt with in a “Dear Abby” column about 2 dats ago right here in GoComics.

I never regretted my children, they are all grown and gone from home now and I have all the peace and quiet and clean that I want, and I am bored to tears most days, I have 7 grandchildren to remind me of how it used to be but none live really close so I don’t get to see them all that often.

I’d say all parents probably have times when they really miss being childless, and many childless people have times when they really wish they had children.

When you get older, you remember the happier times. I find that’s true, even with jobs/work. So after the kids are grown, it seems like it was all fun and happy, even though we all have our overwhelmed moments

I totally do not regret having kids. Sure, my house isn’t neat (it’s clean), but I love every day with them. Sure, it’s frustrating at times, but if you’re not frustrated, then that means you don’t care, and if you don’t care, then you’re not doing it right. I love having kids every single day for a million different reasons.

My middle son was on life-support for three weeks at nine months old not expected to live. Miraculously, he survived without brain damage. Regret? His illness spurred us to have a third child as we knew if we did not we might regret it, though if we did, we would never regret it. Has it always been easy? No. Has it been worth it? More than I can ever put into words. My family is my life, my love, my pride. I have the gray hair to prove it (and I can dye it anytime I want.)

I feel incredible joy in watching my three boys grow, succeed and do well in the world. Just like labor pains, the lousy stuff fades and the good remains. I am thankful every day for my children and pray we have taught them well. I hope my couch is filled with grand-children’s toys one day.

I’m with lightenup on this one. Nothing frustrates me more, or makes me prouder, than my kids

I am puzzled by your strange question — Would YOU put your phone number on an open forum for all the world to see?

Yeah, I’d say let the guy communicate via this forum. His communiques are interesting and help make up part of the kaleidoscope that is GoComics.com. Of course, this kind of thing could be abused. If the couple make contact, they can exchange email addresses or whatever.

As for Susan’s “do all parents regret having kids?” Um, that’s quite a question. It implies that Susan has never seen otherwise. Most of the people I associate with are parents who don’t regret having kids. In their 70’s and 80’s (one is 90) are still involved with and proud of their kids and grandkids (a few great-grands in there). Also, some of us spend time, money, and sweat equity with the kids. I, for one, could stay in my own neat(ish) home all the time, but there’s a lot of love and life and hard work going on up here. No regrets.

There’s an old saying, Lynn: no house with children, pets, or bachelors stays clean for long!

Kids can be a pain – but it’s the only way to get grandkids!!

lighten up. some of us don’t like to give out our cell phones or email addresses on a public forum like this. Arye and Susan have as much right to post what they want as you do.

It is possible many reader of For Better or For Worse are childless couples looking for reasons to stay childless.

I never have and never will regret having children, I cherish the time I have with them. In a way, my children saved my life.

I love my children every day. I also sometimes get frustrated or angry with them, and occasionally long for the tranquil pre-child times I remember. Then I get a free day, and find I’m counting the hours ’til they come home.

No regrets for 4 kids – but it was a lot of work. No temptation to do it again. “Been there, done that.” I have broached the subject of adopting older kids (which are hard to place, and you don’t want to saddle a kid with grandparents for parents unless they are out of options), but she isn’t ready yet. Adopting older children is very challenging and very different than starting from babies.

Do people up there even know what a guayabera is? I live near Ft Lauderdale and so far only have one which happens to be white.

I regret not having much to do with raising my son who is now 37. My ex took off with him when he was about three.

@jpirard – AMEN

@SUSAN NEWMAN – I sure never regretted my child – my son, only child I was able to have. I enjoyed his infancy, through his time served in the US NAVY.

PNmom06: I love your avatar.

John and Elly should have turned the basement into their kids’ playroom and put all that junk down there instead.