For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for October 29, 2019

The tables have turned. I wasn’t expecting that.

“We told Mike we’d be home an hour ago.” I know that they are saying this to set up the situation, but that’s not what happened. If you look back 2 days ago, you can see Elly saying, “See you later, kids. Don’t wait up for us.”

Oh boy. Let me clarify this for you, Mike. Your parents are ADULTS. You are a minor therefore you need rules. They don’t.

Turn-about is fair play.

Mike, now you know how YOUR PARENTS feel when YOU’RE out late!

My son, now in his Thirties, has locked onto the notion that he’s raising his Mom and me. It’s so cute.

Turn about is…. fair play?

Mike is getting practice for when he has kids.

Turnabout is fair play. Let them have it about setting the proper example, Mike.

Payback time. But let’s see you try to ground them, Michael!

goose and gander, eh

I think it just shows he really does love them.

Revenge.

Hopefully, they make full use of Mike as a babysitter and go out now while they can. I doubt that he’ll be ready to stay alone with the new baby so they’re grounded for the next 6 months or so.

“Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

Let us see the big picture:

House bought by – Elly & John.

Food put on table courtesy of – Elly & John.

Water, gas, and electric bills paid by – Elly & John.

Two main breadwinners of the family are – Elly & John.

Kids’ clothes and toys provided by – Elly & John.

Kids’ programs such as hockey paid for by – Elly & John.

Property taxes on house are the responsibility of – Elly & John.

Basically, their house, their rules. All other members of the family be quiet and do not backtalk their parents if they are so dependent on them for survival. As the old saying goes “You eat my bread, you do my will”.

touche’ Mike.

I remember an incident in my life that was almost exactly the same. Except that I gave them hugs and went to bed.

Ground them they did it too you!!

And the tables turn!

Lynn’s Comments: Funny story:

Five years ago, I went to my high school reunion and ran into an old chum who had lived in my neighbourhood. Paul, a musician and a widower (I hate that word!), asked if I’d like to walk around the familiar streets and see what we could remember of our childhood days: what had changed, who used to live where. We had a great time and agreed to see each other again. In a few months, my daughter, her family and I moved to North Vancouver, and for a short time I lived in her basement suite. My friend Paul and I had kept in touch. One day, he came by to drop off a CD he had recently produced. Katie saw him briefly. I thanked him for the gift and walked out to his car to chat. The chat turned into a date for lunch, which turned into a walk, which became dinner. After dinner, we went to see a mutual friend. As we were sitting in our friends’ kitchen, my phone rang. It was Katie, wondering where I was! “You left with a strange man,” she complained, “without saying where you were going or when you’d be back. I have no idea where you are or what you’re doing! Are you coming back? Should I leave the porch light on?” Well, did we laugh. Here I was, well over 65, apologizing to my daughter for being a delinquent kid!

Paul and I have been “partners” for almost five years now.

What goes around comes around!

What’s good for the gosling is good for the geese!

I did the same thing once to my parents. It was a joke, and they recognized it as such. We had a really good laugh about it!

In our family we always told each other where we were going and approximately when we’d be back. My parents told each other and us kids, and vice versa. We considered it courteous. Nowadays it’s a safety mechanism of sorts. It also had the side benefit of preventing us kids from complaining that it wasn’t fair!

It carried on to college. My roommates and I always told somebody in the apartment where we were going and when we expected to be back. We did it for safety reasons. We were living in Utah and memories of Ted Bundy and Gary Gilmore were still very fresh on everyone’s mind at the time.

Ah, the pot is getting his own back on the kettle.

Payback!

Time to set the example!

Turnabout is fair play…

I’m confused. Two days ago they were headed to the party. Yesterday they were home, from the party? Today they are heading home from the party. What is wrong with that timeline?

Touche!

When children start speaking and thinking like their parents.

They trained him well.

Inadvertently, in this case. But well.

Uh Oh – looks like what goes around comes around. Wonder if the parents will get grounded for four days?

What goes around omes around.