For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for February 12, 2019

Elly, it’s not the prom. Stop making a big deal out of it!

with the new outfit, Michael might as well have his surname changed from Patterson to Landon for he looks kind of like Charles Ingall

Let him wear what he wants to wear. He knows what’s expected apparel for the dance. Quit being a hover mom Elly.

Please, do wear deoderant, Mike! You’ll regret it if you don’t!

Michael, you couldn’t explain because your mother didn’t give you a chance to.

Henceforth begins the lying…Mike finds out telling mom the truth about going to the dance resulted in her getting weird about his wardrobe choices. Next time, he will fib and say he is going to this and goes someplace else.

Just wait! He’ll be the only guy dressed up and looking sharp…..and will get all the girls! Guys tend to dance better when they’re dressed up…the ‘peacock effect’..one could say…just wait….he definitely could use an attitude adjustment, though….

It is easier to show that you don’t care about not finding someone to dance with if you look like you didn’t want to. High school dances are just another place to prove you have a girl friend or show that you don’t.

I bought a yellow dress jacket for a high school prom and my mother went ballistic. I don’t understand, I like color, the world is in color. I even have a pumpkin orange Jeep. But it seems most people hate anything colorful and drab is it. I hid the jacket at a friend’s house and changed there before the dance.

Well, it’s not like somebody is going to dance with you anyway.

Why isn’t he going to the dance? Lots of kids go stag at that age.

suspenders?

That is where the term “Elly-copter parent” comes from.

Perhaps Ellie sees her son as going to a dance looking like a slob and stinking like a sewer as an embarrassment for her. I tend more to the “If it isn’t illegal, immoral, or life threatening let them suffer the consequences of their own decisions” school of thought. However, if those decisions become a reflection on me, then I have something to say about it.

That’s what mom’s do…..when she stops, you’re gonna miss it

track suits – we would have killed for a guy who dressed up that much. We got either guys with jeans that were dangerously close to not having crotches any more and of which we suspected had never been washed, judging by the funky smell, or cartoon themed pajama bottoms. track suits, wow…

In the last panel Elly has put on her own coat in preparation of taking Michael to the dance. To answer his question, “because she would have noticed where she dropped you off”.

Years ago our Scottish Society had a ceremony at a small Episcopal church. The rector’s son was one of the acolytes and wore flip-flops. A good friend of mine still talks about the tackiness of that. Ah well, people do notice and life still goes on!

Why don’t you change his diaper while you are at it, Elly?

Why suspenders? Wouldn’t a belt be better? She should wait for here husband to arrive. That ‘s what he’s for.