For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for May 20, 2023

She’s a nurse, she’s probably used to doing stitches.

I was not aware that blue jeans with tears in them were popular on May 21, 1994. But maybe Lynn spends a lot of time revising all her old strips to match the trends of today.

Google “torn jeans fashion 1994” to see the photos.

Liz is being a bit ungrateful. Her grade could have been lower.

I’m sure Dawn made them herself and the teacher realized that.

And once again narcissistic Elly is feeling sorry for herself!!

Not sure how Canadian grading system works. In the US, at least in my day, a 65 would be a D.

No Elle, The teacher just knows that Elizabeth didn’t sew the shorts she turned in.

To earn a badge in Girl Guides we had to darn a sock. I struggled and my mother offered to finish it for me (well, actually do the whole thing). The darn failed. No badge. Chagrined mother.

Oooops, I forgot the rules – again. We were permitted to change into slacks after lunch on football Fridays. Heaven forbid we were inappropriately dressed for morning classes.

Do we have any proof that Dawn didn’t do it? There have been no recent strips showing the inside of the Enjo residence.

It is good that Canadian schools still teach how to sew. USA schools just send orders to China or Vietnam.

My husband refused to give up his ripped jeans, just too comfortable. I buried him in them.

When I took home ec, for the sewing section, I had to make an apron with multiple pockets at the bottom and a long tie at the top. After that, we made a skirt and a blouse. None of the patterns fit me, I was too skinny, and I had to re-size the patterns myself, with no help from the teacher or anyone. Luckily, I was used to doing that. When my child took home ec, she made a fuzzy little stuffed “animal” that I think was made from 2 circular pieces of fake fur and machine stitched most of the way around, stuffed, and then hand or machine stitched to close it. That was all the sewing they did.

If Liz starts talking like her mom, she’ll flunk English too.

Should have got a ZERO for not doing the work herself.

This is like a slap in Elly’s face with a grade like 65%. All the while she thought she was very good at sewing. What a deflation of character. Terrible that Dawn’s mother did the work for Dawn, too (but got a higher mark!).

I used to help my friends do their homework. It sorta bugged me when they got better grades than me. My teacher said the good work showed that they tried harder. It was to easy for me.

When I tried high school science teaching in the early 2000’s, I was shocked that not only did the students have their parents doing their homework, but instead of individual work, group work was expected. I was exposed to this in the 3 graduate programs I was in – without exception, I did the vast majority of the work and the other members of the “team” who barely participated got an A as well. Somehow taking credit for other’s work seemed to be an expectation, starting sometime in the mid-1980’s. Oh, and don’t get me started on the fact that the more talented students, instead of being challenged further as I was in the 1960’s, were now expected to tutor the less studious or disinterested students. I find it appalling that El did her daughter’s homework for her. It is unethical. Also, what takeaway does the daughter have from this?

Pre Brittany Spears….

the girls — Liz & Dawn — apparently learned nothing

They both should have gotten a F and an incomplete.

Elly is losing to Mrs. Enjo in the Mompetition. Soon Mrs. Nichols will overtake her. Then it will be Mrs. Mayes, and heaven forbid, Mrs. Thomas.

Those Enjo kids are outdoing Michael and Elizabeth in everything. Five years from now the Pattersons will be living in Japanada

No, Dawn actually did hers by herself.