I find the strip funny but understand your pain. For me it was an alcoholic aunt who raised me – no love and understanding there. But – we survived our childhood!
I was a navy wife and working mother for 21years. My sons’ father was deployed or underway during work-ups (to deployment) for 75% of their childhood. The ONE time I went on a 5 day business trip, he had to take leave in order to be a parent.
I work with cubs and beavers (ages 8 – 10 and 5 – 7, respectively). Every now and again, one of them will not do as he is told. If he will not respond to normal reasoning, I use “the voice” (borrowed from Dune). It is very loud, very imperative, and, when applied judiciously, very effective. It involves no threat – just gets their attention.
I think my next door neighbors are terrible parents. They tried for years to have kids and when they couldn’t, they tried for a few more years to adopt. Now they’ve finally got 2 boys — ages 4 and 6 — that they adopted about 8 or 9 months ago and because they had such a “tough early childhood” in their Vietnamese and Chinese orphanages (where they came from), our neighbors are so over-indulgent in order to make up for their “trauma” that those kids don’t seem to be getting any discipline at all. The word “no” is definitely not in their vocabulary (the kids’ voculary — yes. The parents — no!). And what irks me the most is that I can be standing outside talking to the neighbor wife and the oldest boy will whine, cry, scream, throw a tantrum . . . whatever he needs to do to get his mother’s attention away from me and back on to him . . . and instead of correcting him by telling him that interrupting adults while they’re talking (unless someone’s bleeding!) is unacceptable behavior and won’t be tolerated, she caters to him and gives him the attention he wants even if that means being rude to me. I know she didn’t learn this kind of behavior herself when she was a child because I know her mother and there’s no way (her mother) would have ever allowed any of her kids to behave that way around other adults. As it is, I’ve pretty much given up talking to her beyond a wave hello whenever I see her outside with the kids. And if I see her before she sees me, I go out of my way to avoid even having to do that much so that I don’t appear to be the rude one by refusing to stop and talk. It’s a real shame too because we use to be such good friends with them. They’re really nice people and great neighbors who’ll go out of their way to help you any way they can if at all possible but we just can’t stand being around them anymore when they’re with their kids and there’s no discipline involved if it’s needed!!!
John seems like a pretty good father to me. He tried the first two steps first, then resorted to step 3. Besides, John’s into model trains. Michael and Liz must have had the best train set in town to play with.
<> They all survived! The eldest son is now a fisheries ecologist, the youngest a doctoral student in nuclear engineering, and the ex-husband on his third marriage….
It’s not a good idea to make that threat. If you make a threat to kids and don’t carry it out, they’ll never believe you again — and that’s one threat you don’t want to carry out. My wife would say, “If you do that again, I’ll glumph you.” Or, “I’ll spaggle you.” Then when they did it again, she’d do whatever she felt up to at the moment.
kittylover2 over 11 years ago
Too funny. LOL
pouncingtiger over 11 years ago
It usually comes to the last step. Doesn’t it, parents?
onetrack0246 over 11 years ago
Yep that’s the way it’s done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thirdguy over 11 years ago
Hopefully, no weapons were involved!
NE1956 over 11 years ago
My Dad would check the closet to make sure the monsters fell asleep before I did. After that, I had no reason to be scared or to complain.
psychlady over 11 years ago
The truth is in the last panel.
ShadowBeast Premium Member over 11 years ago
That last panel is just too funny.
teddyr over 11 years ago
LOL To put Al Capone’s spin on the situation, “You can get further with a kind word,,,,,,and a .45 than you can with a kind word.”
teddyr over 11 years ago
NO! I am NOT advocating weapons!
Perkycat over 11 years ago
I find the strip funny but understand your pain. For me it was an alcoholic aunt who raised me – no love and understanding there. But – we survived our childhood!
tuslog64 over 11 years ago
Or another tactic: I’m going to mop the floors at 9:30 and I’ll expect everyone still awake then to help!
JeNagVaz over 11 years ago
I was a navy wife and working mother for 21years. My sons’ father was deployed or underway during work-ups (to deployment) for 75% of their childhood. The ONE time I went on a 5 day business trip, he had to take leave in order to be a parent.
Elderflower over 11 years ago
I work with cubs and beavers (ages 8 – 10 and 5 – 7, respectively). Every now and again, one of them will not do as he is told. If he will not respond to normal reasoning, I use “the voice” (borrowed from Dune). It is very loud, very imperative, and, when applied judiciously, very effective. It involves no threat – just gets their attention.
Gretchen's Mom over 11 years ago
I think my next door neighbors are terrible parents. They tried for years to have kids and when they couldn’t, they tried for a few more years to adopt. Now they’ve finally got 2 boys — ages 4 and 6 — that they adopted about 8 or 9 months ago and because they had such a “tough early childhood” in their Vietnamese and Chinese orphanages (where they came from), our neighbors are so over-indulgent in order to make up for their “trauma” that those kids don’t seem to be getting any discipline at all. The word “no” is definitely not in their vocabulary (the kids’ voculary — yes. The parents — no!). And what irks me the most is that I can be standing outside talking to the neighbor wife and the oldest boy will whine, cry, scream, throw a tantrum . . . whatever he needs to do to get his mother’s attention away from me and back on to him . . . and instead of correcting him by telling him that interrupting adults while they’re talking (unless someone’s bleeding!) is unacceptable behavior and won’t be tolerated, she caters to him and gives him the attention he wants even if that means being rude to me. I know she didn’t learn this kind of behavior herself when she was a child because I know her mother and there’s no way (her mother) would have ever allowed any of her kids to behave that way around other adults. As it is, I’ve pretty much given up talking to her beyond a wave hello whenever I see her outside with the kids. And if I see her before she sees me, I go out of my way to avoid even having to do that much so that I don’t appear to be the rude one by refusing to stop and talk. It’s a real shame too because we use to be such good friends with them. They’re really nice people and great neighbors who’ll go out of their way to help you any way they can if at all possible but we just can’t stand being around them anymore when they’re with their kids and there’s no discipline involved if it’s needed!!!
:-(
Gretchen's Mom over 11 years ago
My father tended to go to step 3 directly……….
Sounds like you and I had the exact same dad!!!!! :-(
99gagtx over 11 years ago
John seems like a pretty good father to me. He tried the first two steps first, then resorted to step 3. Besides, John’s into model trains. Michael and Liz must have had the best train set in town to play with.
JeNagVaz over 11 years ago
<> They all survived! The eldest son is now a fisheries ecologist, the youngest a doctoral student in nuclear engineering, and the ex-husband on his third marriage….
luckylouie over 11 years ago
It’s not a good idea to make that threat. If you make a threat to kids and don’t carry it out, they’ll never believe you again — and that’s one threat you don’t want to carry out. My wife would say, “If you do that again, I’ll glumph you.” Or, “I’ll spaggle you.” Then when they did it again, she’d do whatever she felt up to at the moment.
LiviaBay over 11 years ago
Doesn’t it always come down to this…..lol