howtheduck, you’re ignoring the fact that the kids are a seven-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl. There is no way that Michael should still be taking a bath with Elizabeth at his age – or with any girl, for that matter – nor should she be bathing with him.
Putting it another way, by the time that her kids are old enough to take baths together without causing Elly trouble, they won’t (and shouldn’t) be taking baths together at all!
I didn’t have any brothers, but remember being small enough that my sister and I could pass each other in the bathtub! We’d make whirlpools and drench the floor. That was pretty much the end of that.
Can almost bet that both kids were bathing at the same time to give mom a badly needed break…and so Elizabeth would be kept safe by Michael.
In another era, parents weren’t so worried about bathing siblings together; the psychiatrists hadn’t yet declared such actions out of bounds. Toddlers of two aren’t cognizant of sexual differences…they are just harmlessly curious. This episode won’t negatively affect Elizabeth at all.
a seven year old boy too old for taking a bath with his little sister? You must be JOKING!!! What’s the deal with Americans and nudity? Those are both still little children.
Another matter altogether is of course that a 7 years old kid isn’t old enough to look after his 2 yr old sibling in the bath. But this is a comic strip, right? not a real life situation…
Ouch! LOL! Our moment was in a YMCA changing room with a poor little boy who was changing with his mommy. Mine asked, “Why does he have something, uh, extra hanging there?”
MIchael is old enough to watch Elizabeth in the tub: he’s old enough to know she shouldn’t stand up, that she should be grabbed by the arm if she goes under water and that if she slips and hits her head he should yell for his mother. It’s not as if Elly left the house. Any of those things could happen with her sitting there watching Lizzie play in the tub.
Some friends and I use the tilda (~) for sarcasm - it sort of looks like twisted lips.
A 7yr old boy and his 2 yr old sister bathing together, is about as right as my old landlady bathing her 12 year old son (who was in the top percentile of his class - WITH honours)
To all the people freaking out over this: it’s not a first-run! This strip is 25-30 years old! I remember it from when I was a kid (cracked me up, BTW). It was a different time. Kids bathed together to cut down on water costs; we walked or rode our bikes all over the neighborhood without a thought of child molesters. We didn’t x-ray our Halloween loot before eating it. My older brother & I were still bathing together at 6 & 3 (I remember him keeping his back to me the whole time), and we both grew up to be productive, law-abiding citizens. Get a grip.
kjc7823 said: Ummmmmm it’s a comic folks. I’m sure that anyone reading this comic strip is not reading it for parenting advice.
I certainly hope not because it’s full (pretty much on a daily basis) of everything you shouldn’t say or do regarding the raising of children! All the bickering, yelling, parental abuse (of each other!) … it’s just plain scary!
I always wonder: every time someone comes here, reads the comic, reads our comments pertaining to the comic, then tells us “It’s just a comic … get a life!” ………. what kind of lives do they have??? By their comments to the rest of us, it doesn’t sound like they have much of a “life” either!!!!!
Look all you spoil-sports … we’re not idiots. We know it’s a comic! Why do you have to come here and and spoil our fun and shared passion for this comic strip??? If you don’t like what we have to say, then why read any of them at all? Just skip over the comments section and move on to the next thing you’re going to look at on your computer today and leave the rest of us alone!
At 2, Lizzie isn’t an infant. It’s not like she’s going to roll on her back and not be able to get back up. At 7, Michael isn’t helpless. Long as mom has spoken o him about what his responsibilities are in the bath there’s no reason why mom has to be in the room every last second. I myself had bath-time duties with my 6-year younger brother. 8 & 2 to 9 & 3, at which point brother dearest took a crapper in the bath water and I refused to co-habit the tub ever again =P
For those clamoring over the “inappropriateness” of mixed sex children bathing with each other - get over yourselves and your hangups over anything sex or gender related already. Did you know there are perfectly modern cultures in which the entire family bathes together? Where there are public bath houses where you bathe with same- OR mixed- sex strangers? And unlike in America, with our uptight Puritan roots, it’s perfectly acceptable AND non-sexual.
OMG! This is the exact one where I started reading this comic 29 years ago. Mind you I missed a number of years in the middle where I stopped getting the paper and didn’t follow it on the internet.
DavidAllenParizekJr about 14 years ago
Elizabeth too young to be not watched in bathtub, she’ll drown.
EurekaBlue about 14 years ago
Don’t worry about not having one, they’re SO overated!!
legaleagle48 about 14 years ago
howtheduck, you’re ignoring the fact that the kids are a seven-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl. There is no way that Michael should still be taking a bath with Elizabeth at his age – or with any girl, for that matter – nor should she be bathing with him.
Putting it another way, by the time that her kids are old enough to take baths together without causing Elly trouble, they won’t (and shouldn’t) be taking baths together at all!
paha_siga about 14 years ago
I’m thinking howtheduck was being all sarcastic over there…
Purdey about 14 years ago
I didn’t have any brothers, but remember being small enough that my sister and I could pass each other in the bathtub! We’d make whirlpools and drench the floor. That was pretty much the end of that.
kfccanada about 14 years ago
Can almost bet that both kids were bathing at the same time to give mom a badly needed break…and so Elizabeth would be kept safe by Michael.
In another era, parents weren’t so worried about bathing siblings together; the psychiatrists hadn’t yet declared such actions out of bounds. Toddlers of two aren’t cognizant of sexual differences…they are just harmlessly curious. This episode won’t negatively affect Elizabeth at all.
myming about 14 years ago
it’s starting younger and younger…
hildigunnurr Premium Member about 14 years ago
a seven year old boy too old for taking a bath with his little sister? You must be JOKING!!! What’s the deal with Americans and nudity? Those are both still little children.
Another matter altogether is of course that a 7 years old kid isn’t old enough to look after his 2 yr old sibling in the bath. But this is a comic strip, right? not a real life situation…
harmgb about 14 years ago
It’s amazing, the critics of strip behavior who are obviously not parents……( and I’m not, either. A parent, that is)
WinterSpringSummerFall about 14 years ago
You people are funnier than this comic by far!
rotts about 14 years ago
spammerflaggen!
alviebird about 14 years ago
I thought that looked familiar.
Nighthawks Premium Member about 14 years ago
howtheduck was obviously being sarcastic……..he/she just forgot to use the sarcastic font to make it even more obvious
Yukoneric about 14 years ago
Our two youngest found out they’re different the same way.
cleokaya about 14 years ago
Beef jerky comes to mind.
anorok2 about 14 years ago
nighthawks… what’s the sarcastic font? What keys do you press or what.. or are you kidding? ( I believe every thing I read.)
anorok2 about 14 years ago
Burgandy2…that sarcastica key would come in handy…and in my case I could use a “boy,am I naive! ” key. Shame on me!
gobblingup Premium Member about 14 years ago
Ouch! LOL! Our moment was in a YMCA changing room with a poor little boy who was changing with his mommy. Mine asked, “Why does he have something, uh, extra hanging there?”
JP Steve Premium Member about 14 years ago
kfccanada, who said anything abut negatively affecting Elizabeth?
Nelly55 about 14 years ago
I have a picture of my than 5 year old son and his 3 year old sister in the tub together. They are in their 30’s now.
fun memories
thanx Lynn
bevgreyjones about 14 years ago
MIchael is old enough to watch Elizabeth in the tub: he’s old enough to know she shouldn’t stand up, that she should be grabbed by the arm if she goes under water and that if she slips and hits her head he should yell for his mother. It’s not as if Elly left the house. Any of those things could happen with her sitting there watching Lizzie play in the tub.
Some friends and I use the tilda (~) for sarcasm - it sort of looks like twisted lips.
Barbara
cbrsarah about 14 years ago
Even though my kids were 5 years apart, I’ve always bathed them separately.
Allan CB Premium Member about 14 years ago
A 7yr old boy and his 2 yr old sister bathing together, is about as right as my old landlady bathing her 12 year old son (who was in the top percentile of his class - WITH honours)
junebugmom about 14 years ago
To all the people freaking out over this: it’s not a first-run! This strip is 25-30 years old! I remember it from when I was a kid (cracked me up, BTW). It was a different time. Kids bathed together to cut down on water costs; we walked or rode our bikes all over the neighborhood without a thought of child molesters. We didn’t x-ray our Halloween loot before eating it. My older brother & I were still bathing together at 6 & 3 (I remember him keeping his back to me the whole time), and we both grew up to be productive, law-abiding citizens. Get a grip.
kjc7823 about 14 years ago
Ummmmmm it’s a comic folks. I’m sure that anyone reading this comic strip is not reading it for parenting advice.
Miba about 14 years ago
I bathed with my siblings when we were young, both brothers and sisters. As we got older it was just with my sisters. It wasn’t a big deal.
Gretchen's Mom about 14 years ago
kjc7823 said: Ummmmmm it’s a comic folks. I’m sure that anyone reading this comic strip is not reading it for parenting advice.
I certainly hope not because it’s full (pretty much on a daily basis) of everything you shouldn’t say or do regarding the raising of children! All the bickering, yelling, parental abuse (of each other!) … it’s just plain scary!
Gretchen's Mom about 14 years ago
I always wonder: every time someone comes here, reads the comic, reads our comments pertaining to the comic, then tells us “It’s just a comic … get a life!” ………. what kind of lives do they have??? By their comments to the rest of us, it doesn’t sound like they have much of a “life” either!!!!!
Look all you spoil-sports … we’re not idiots. We know it’s a comic! Why do you have to come here and and spoil our fun and shared passion for this comic strip??? If you don’t like what we have to say, then why read any of them at all? Just skip over the comments section and move on to the next thing you’re going to look at on your computer today and leave the rest of us alone!
Thank you.
Oukachiru about 14 years ago
At 2, Lizzie isn’t an infant. It’s not like she’s going to roll on her back and not be able to get back up. At 7, Michael isn’t helpless. Long as mom has spoken o him about what his responsibilities are in the bath there’s no reason why mom has to be in the room every last second. I myself had bath-time duties with my 6-year younger brother. 8 & 2 to 9 & 3, at which point brother dearest took a crapper in the bath water and I refused to co-habit the tub ever again =P
For those clamoring over the “inappropriateness” of mixed sex children bathing with each other - get over yourselves and your hangups over anything sex or gender related already. Did you know there are perfectly modern cultures in which the entire family bathes together? Where there are public bath houses where you bathe with same- OR mixed- sex strangers? And unlike in America, with our uptight Puritan roots, it’s perfectly acceptable AND non-sexual.
xirtam about 14 years ago
OMG! This is the exact one where I started reading this comic 29 years ago. Mind you I missed a number of years in the middle where I stopped getting the paper and didn’t follow it on the internet.
sparky111 over 12 years ago
So Weird
Mumblix Premium Member almost 2 years ago
Don’t know why GC is replacing the original strip with ones that don’t have the throw-away headers, but the original can be seen here:
https://fborfw.com/strip_fix/strips/10/fb100822.jpg