For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for September 01, 2013

Somebody certainly likes to live dangerously. I’d never have gotten away with talking back to my mother like that!

“it’s not MY fault! YOU gave us the candy!” Michael would make a good democrat.

Michael is getting a smart mouth!!

In any case, Michael, I suspect the days of Mom giving you candy is now at an end.

Better yet: There is no excuse for littering!

Never liked that little jerk. Has no respect for his mother.

Now she gives the ‘Nag’

And that will be the last time THAT happens.

When I went to visit friends in a housing project in Baku, Azerbaijan, I brought a lot of American chewing gum with me. Soon< I noticed chewing gum wrappers littering the grounds. When the kids asked me for more gum, I made up a story saying that the janitor had chastised me for making more work for her with the littered wrappers. I really HATE wrappers being thrown on the ground or floor when it’s so easy to dispose of them properly.

Not a smart answer, Michael, although you thought it was.

He has a valid point. However, I think the next time she should remind them where the trash can is and say to please dispose of their wrappers. If not, no more candy.

Michael would’ve made a great politician

That’s someone who’s not going to be getting candy anymore!

Good recovery Mike. You may yet live to realize how good.

I think it would be cool to occasionally have “flashbacks” to the current day to see how they are doing. It was cool growing up with the pattersons.

do as your told not as I say

Nice try, Mike, but that’s not how it works. You are respected to use whatever your parents give you in a responsible manner. It’s only the parents fault if they give the child something inappropriate, which he can’t argue is the case with wrapped candy at his age.

& Mike clearly did not think this one thru as that line is going to come back to haunt him next time he wants candy.

Oooh, Michael, dear, you’re gonna regret that. Never give Mom the option of “solving” the problem. That’s a fast way of ending up paying for your own candy next time and still having to pick up the wrappers.

Once, when I had a birthday party in the basement for one of my sons (February in Chicago area) the boys had just been served their food (near end of the party) and I was upstairs (as I must have thought it was going fine.

They had a food fight, made a terrible mess with sodas, cake and ice cream and I sent them home. When the other mothers got wind, they were ALL sent back to help clean up.

THOSE were the DAYS! I don’t know if that would happen now-a-days. That son has 2 kids in college now.

As I said @ Tony Rubino this week, our SCA has the motto “Leave the place cleaner than you find it”. We are a re-creationist group (not political) but it IS important to represent ourselves as responsible people. We use all kind of venues with from 6 to well over 600 people (and many camping events, which I don’t) and every one of them knows that motto.

And the autocrats remind them!

Pockets.

The first thing this strip reminded me of is Orange season. I have a large tree with very tasty fruit in my front yard and neighbors all have my permission to pick orange if they wish. The children often chose to peel and eat them on the spot. I do remind them that it’s OK, but they will please put peels in the dumpster that is practically right behind the tree.

A good way to Not get any more candy from his mum.

True, even the wrappers might make a mess. I break my daily ration of dark chocolate into pieces as small as my fingers allow (on a little plate) and today did it above my lap (because I was not at the table).

Just a few of the tiniest crumbs fell on my lap but quickly melted and now I have to wash my white jeans which are otherwise totally clean ;-(