If he had just left her alone instead of moping around her while she was writing, he’d be in the house. A kid who persists in hanging around any parent who is trying to accomplish anything only has her or himself to blame if ordered out.
The scary thing is, in today’s world in the US, they COULDN’T go to the park, or the playground, or ride their bikes around the neighborhood without some busybody calling the cops and reporting Ellie for child neglect for allowing them to do those things without adult supervision!
I will soon be going to my high school reunion. We were a close-knit bunch, and several dedicated organizers make it possible for us to have a reunion every five years. It’s great to see everyone once more. We all talk openly about how we teased each other, and how mean we sometimes were.
As kids growing up in “wartime housing” during the 50s, we all thought other families were better off than we were. Last reunion, in a moment of wine-fuelled honesty, I told my friend Ruby that I had been especially nice to her when I discovered she had a television set. At the time, few families could afford to buy a television and I told her how jealous I was. I said, “You were the envy of every kid from Fifth Street to Eighth!” Ruby smiled and said, “Lynn, my dad worked in a furniture store and the owner allowed him to borrow a television from time to time because he was such a good employee. We didn’t own a television either!”
There seems to be a standard pattern here where people make comments assuming that Lynn is the real Eliy. But then Lynn’s notes make clear that the kids in her strip are often based on her own self. The strip is not only about parenting: it’s also about recapturing her own childhood.
JanCinLV: A fearless people can never be subjugated. Even if occupied, there will be a potent underground. A fearful people is already subjugated by their fears and any tyrant can just take over.
Elly has been teaching her son lessons throughout this story arc. Lesson #1: Do not disturb your mother while she is working. Lesson #2: If you cannot be helpful, be gone. Now time for Lesson #3: Do not invite yourself to other people’s houses!
Again I note that these children (Elizabeth last week sometime) point their index fingers upward when making a point, just like dad. I’ve never seen children do that, and it’s irritating when adults do it.
Not sure about the “in my day” routine, but it was true that in earlier times, televisions were very expensive. Same for hi-fis, VCRs, the Atari 2600, et cetera. First-run electronics tend to be expensive because of the time and effort put into making them. As time goes on, electronic products have been classic price-droppers as the manufacturers master making them. I was reminded of a Back to the Future, where Marty has dinner with his maternal grandparents, as well as his aunts and uncles, who are only kids in 1955.Marty: Hey, I saw this episode of The Honeymooners. This is the one where Ralph went to the costume party as the man from space!Milton: When did you see it? This is brand new!Marty: I saw it on a rerun.Milton: What is a rerun?Marty: You will find out soon enough.Milton: Does your family own a TV?Marty{talking about his 1985 family): Yes, we do. Two of them.Milton: Two TVs?! Wow, you must be rich!Stella: Honey, he is joking. No one owns two TV sets.
Just like everything, it is all in your perception. The neighbor behind us beat his kids black and blue, then tried to blame me for one of the daughters’ abuse(I was 9). Kids were abused, by parents, step parents and other family. Many times this was a precursor to early sexual behavior with their peers. It happened then, it happened 100 years ago, and it happens now.
It is all over the news now, so of course people think it is more prevalent. Yes, now in the age of birth control, it is more common with high school age girls, but there was always a lot of experimentation at that age. Healthy teens always have it on their mind, nature put it there and that will never change.
Templo S.U.D. over 9 years ago
brilliant loophole
Argythree over 9 years ago
If he had just left her alone instead of moping around her while she was writing, he’d be in the house. A kid who persists in hanging around any parent who is trying to accomplish anything only has her or himself to blame if ordered out.
loveslife over 9 years ago
No it isn’t.. I wonder how much mud Lizzy ate.. She is good at keeping herself busy..
AliCom over 9 years ago
Mike should think about going into the law or politics.
sbwertz over 9 years ago
The scary thing is, in today’s world in the US, they COULDN’T go to the park, or the playground, or ride their bikes around the neighborhood without some busybody calling the cops and reporting Ellie for child neglect for allowing them to do those things without adult supervision!
JanLC over 9 years ago
Lynn’s Notes:
I will soon be going to my high school reunion. We were a close-knit bunch, and several dedicated organizers make it possible for us to have a reunion every five years. It’s great to see everyone once more. We all talk openly about how we teased each other, and how mean we sometimes were.
As kids growing up in “wartime housing” during the 50s, we all thought other families were better off than we were. Last reunion, in a moment of wine-fuelled honesty, I told my friend Ruby that I had been especially nice to her when I discovered she had a television set. At the time, few families could afford to buy a television and I told her how jealous I was. I said, “You were the envy of every kid from Fifth Street to Eighth!” Ruby smiled and said, “Lynn, my dad worked in a furniture store and the owner allowed him to borrow a television from time to time because he was such a good employee. We didn’t own a television either!”
paul brians over 9 years ago
There seems to be a standard pattern here where people make comments assuming that Lynn is the real Eliy. But then Lynn’s notes make clear that the kids in her strip are often based on her own self. The strip is not only about parenting: it’s also about recapturing her own childhood.
hippogriff over 9 years ago
JanCinLV: A fearless people can never be subjugated. Even if occupied, there will be a potent underground. A fearful people is already subjugated by their fears and any tyrant can just take over.
USN1977 over 9 years ago
Elly has been teaching her son lessons throughout this story arc. Lesson #1: Do not disturb your mother while she is working. Lesson #2: If you cannot be helpful, be gone. Now time for Lesson #3: Do not invite yourself to other people’s houses!
codedaddy over 9 years ago
Again I note that these children (Elizabeth last week sometime) point their index fingers upward when making a point, just like dad. I’ve never seen children do that, and it’s irritating when adults do it.
USN1977 over 9 years ago
Not sure about the “in my day” routine, but it was true that in earlier times, televisions were very expensive. Same for hi-fis, VCRs, the Atari 2600, et cetera. First-run electronics tend to be expensive because of the time and effort put into making them. As time goes on, electronic products have been classic price-droppers as the manufacturers master making them. I was reminded of a Back to the Future, where Marty has dinner with his maternal grandparents, as well as his aunts and uncles, who are only kids in 1955.Marty: Hey, I saw this episode of The Honeymooners. This is the one where Ralph went to the costume party as the man from space!Milton: When did you see it? This is brand new!Marty: I saw it on a rerun.Milton: What is a rerun?Marty: You will find out soon enough.Milton: Does your family own a TV?Marty{talking about his 1985 family): Yes, we do. Two of them.Milton: Two TVs?! Wow, you must be rich!Stella: Honey, he is joking. No one owns two TV sets.
route66paul over 9 years ago
Just like everything, it is all in your perception. The neighbor behind us beat his kids black and blue, then tried to blame me for one of the daughters’ abuse(I was 9). Kids were abused, by parents, step parents and other family. Many times this was a precursor to early sexual behavior with their peers. It happened then, it happened 100 years ago, and it happens now.
It is all over the news now, so of course people think it is more prevalent. Yes, now in the age of birth control, it is more common with high school age girls, but there was always a lot of experimentation at that age. Healthy teens always have it on their mind, nature put it there and that will never change.