Stone Soup by Jan Eliot for March 22, 2013

You’ve really spent a lot of time and effort thinking about this, somebodyshort.

As crowded as that house is they are lucky that hot bunking is not in the offing.

You’ll be sorry you ever signed up for this!

Love the expression on Max in the last cell

Unless Luci needs a diaper change or gets hungry then she will really be screaming.

Max is planning on fun evil time.

I was thinking sort of the same,why not just have Evie go next door and stay with them at their house, all their things are there…..Evie is a pro just seems like it would have been simpler

this would be the worst time to “sleep train” an infant when her parents are away. They should have told you if she is having a bottle every 3 hours but if thats what she gets at home then thats what you should be doing for her until they get back.

Wow the present wasn’t the trip to Paris….it was the babysitting job!!!

This too shall pass, this too shall pass-chant it over and over again Val…….

I thought we already make-believe resolved the make-believe conflict of the make-believe bedtime of the make-believe kids while their make-believe parents go on a make-believe trip.

“Holly and Alix in their own bedsMax and Luci in their own bedsVal and Evie take turns, one at home, one at Joan and Wally’sHolly and Alix babysit after school”

Now that’s a solution I hadn’t thought of that actually makes a world of sense.

@somebody short. They have all these rules that make it hard on grandparents!

Anyone else notice Max’s malicious little expression in panel 4??

Who is she refering to in panel 2 when she says “us” Evie (grams) has her own room, so is she talking about Phil?

according to the offical site Luci was born July 6-8, 2007, which means she is 5-1/2 years old. Why is she pictured as a tiny baby ? Also this makes Max 8 yrs old.

I loved when grandkids came over for a nice afternoon. I originally thought of a house with NO guest rooms and my daughter (who may visit once in 5 years) thought I was selfish to have a room just for the bird.

That made it fun to watch them swim in the pool and read them some stories and do crafts in cooler weather. But back while I was still working, I prefered to go OUT to dinner and have the house quiet to go to sleep when I choose (and be able to watch all the shows that are saved by my TiVo – not have to worry that this one or that might have words never heard by the children ;-P

You can’t spoil a baby under one year. If the baby is crying they need you nearby and it is ok to go to them. Some people need extra assurance and give it to them when they are babies and they’ll be more secure when they’re older. Won’t kill you to take care of your baby.

He’s a teenager. His night probably IS three hours long.

She should have pumped enough to leave milk for Luci. Formula feeding is child abuse. I am appalled & disgusted that the cartoonist would advocate weaning a child & formula feeding. That should be actionable child neglect. It is unhealthy & unethical. It’s a pity, I had liked this comic but I am done reading it as of today. I cannot support an abuser who supports the formula industry.

Who says it is formula? Women who can’t(or don’t want to breast feed) can give goat’s milk as a supplement, a replacement or to wean. Goat and sheep’s milk have kept human babies alive for thousands of years.

this is a great time to sleep train Luci, set bedtime and if she wakes in the night don’t disturb her and she’ll go back to sleep..I’m not so sure this is a good idea. Some kids cry and cry and cry and cry and cry for hours. You want to disturb a stuffed-full house with that for N nights?