For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for January 17, 2013

Since this is a Canadian strip and Canada is bilingual in English and French, I say to Elizabeth Patterson as well as to Lynn Johnston, “touché.”

Elizabeth knows how to lay on a guilt trip.

Oh, surrre. Like kids that age can think that profoundly.

Actually the thing is – they can do that to you without thinking at all!!

My husband calls that “emotional blackmail”.

She spends all day with Elizabeth. Going to a meeting that will probably last a couple hours is not neglecting her.

Right now, my four-year-old’s favorite thing to say when I come home from work is a plaintive “I missed you!” Love it!

One of the first things we learn has children:Our parents’ ‘buttons’.

But Lynn, I didn’t do those outside activities and was not at all happy being a 24/7 mom. It seems that moms end up feeling guilty, no matter what we do.

Aww, Mom… you missed your chance. I would have looked the conniving little punk in the face and said “it’s a tie right now; behave while I’m gone and see if you can come out ahead!”

I have a five year-old granddaughter that says things of this caliber. Yes, young ones can think deeper than we give them credit for. We have forgotten a lot of what we were then!

howtheduck: She might be on the library board or have business before it. Since the librarians tend to be there as well, they can hardly have it during library hours.

Wouldn’t in the evening when the library is closed be the absolute best time to have a meeting . . . when everyone that needs to be there is (most likely) already present and it wouldn’t take employees away from their job of helping the library patrons in order to attend a mandatory meeting?

Wisdom from the mouths of babes!

Why are all updates late today?

Was there a strip where Elly, being the typical worrier, worried that if she stayed home she was letting life pass her by and if she went to work she missed seeing her kids grow up, then thought “a turtle has the best of both worlds”?

Guys, guys, I’m talking about the punchline thought, not what she says in the third panel. Kids that age do not think that way. If they did, they’d be a lot easier to reason with.

And there’s nothing wrong with a mother doing some things on her own. Her kids will survive and it teaches them healthy values for when they become adults. Lynn sure had some retro ideas about mothering, even for the 80s.

Awwwww…tugs right at your heart ;-)