Been in a similar situation. In 4th grade, some brainless kids at another table in front of us were hazardously playing with metal kitchen utensils during lunch. They (mindlessly) threw one fork that was within inches of me and right over the seat next to me. In a very lucky set of circumstances, the kid who sat next to me was actually absent that day.
Are we reaching a point where the non-growth of characters is becoming irritating? Whether it’s Luann, Bernice, or today, Shannon, it seems as if no one is learning from their mistakes or the past.
And as an official Shannon fan, it is becoming doubly frustrating to see her being portrayed as without redeeming value just for a cheap punchline.
I think a lot of us expected Shannon to be featured here but — gaaah! This is just beyond the pale. There’s nothing finny about it and Shannon’s behavior of commission and Luann’s behavior of omission are so outrageous that it’s ruined my mood for the rest of the night.
The question of what happens on Monday seemed divided between more of the current story or a pivot to a story about some of the other characters. Which leads to the question: when was some other character featured in a story. It seems like we’re never getting away from the DeGRoot household anymore. Which is sad because I’m sick of the lot of them.
Geesh! Luann is just an endless pit of brilliant ideas these days. Ignoring a kid who is constantly crying is one thing. You DON’T ignore a kid that keeps throwing items and destroying your house. She could have SERIOUSLY injured someone throwing that pan against the wall! Truth is, Brad is a FAR better role model and caregiver than Luann is these days.
It’s like we keep saying, no one disciplines that kid. So why would Luann, of all people? Maybe they should give Sarah a spinoff strip. Call it “Denise the Menace” or something.
Jonah Daytona strikes Gold and moves to California, marry a movie starlet and starts an new family. He gives up Shannon for adoption. Shannon becomes an angry teenager, finds her mother in an overseas country with a family.
I recently read from the beginning of the strip and Shannon first appeared when Luann would babysit a baby, Lindy. She would take Puddles with her. Then one time she could make more money because the daughter of a friend of Lindy’s mother would be there.
Younger Shannon! Named Shannon, looked like Shannon, acted like Shannon. She was in a few strips.
Fast forward to Toni.. She described Shannon as her cousin more than once.
Luann was partly right. Her fatal mistake was not sending Shannon to someone’s bedroom to throw that tantrum. Part of the tantrum is working out emotion and excess energy. The other is creating a spectacle for someone else to see. The key is to deny them that audience. Worked a treat in my babysitting days.
I’m really not sure the child rearing books suggest, “Let the little monster commit all the destructive violence he or she wants until the child calms down.”
I have a friend who told me, “never be afraid to yell at other people’s kids.”
Shannon has to be told tantrums are not accepted nor done by adults.
She needs guidance or suggestions when these emotions are coming on to help control the outbursts. Letting them know the tantrum won’t get what they want and punishment can happen, time out, no playtime for a period etc.
Letting the tantrum, “run its course”, is not the answer.I’m wonder what Luann’s mom or dad would do.
I’d give her a good few swats on the rear end and then I would make her clean up every single item that she threw at them. By the time she was done, she would get the idea that she shouldn’t do things like that
Remember a few week past when a comment was deleted that the wrong character was hit? G&K are giving us a terrible character and most of the readers don’t like her . But this is 2021 going on 1984. The media is paid to undermine well behaved and traditional folks.
With no consequences for her unacceptable behavior now, just imagine the mess she’ll be in 10 years from now. Her victims then won’t be so accommodating, and neither will the PoPo.
Going “retro-parent” here; a bare backside, properly reddened facing outward from a corner of the room visible to all quickly modifies behavior. BTDT sassing, backtalk and temper tantrums ended promptly once the ultimate consequence was made known.
Wow, I’m super bored with Shannon’s character. She’s miserable to be around, destructive, and everyone just tolerates her. So, that’s fun…? Can she and her dad just move to Europe or something?
They could just get a chimpanzee and have the same behavior. I don’t know why they continue to write the Shannon character as such a misfit. They must not read the comments about her.
All of the comments demanding violence on a child should make the writer reconsider how Shannon is written as a person. It’s going very dark and ugly for her as a character. No child deserves to be beaten, hit with a belt, a pan, pants dropped for a beatdown, etc. This is sick.
OK, throwing pots and pans is crossing the line. It looks like that was thrown with enough force to actually hurt Luann if it had gone just a foot lower. If it had hit her in the face it probably would have knocked out some teeth or broken some bones.
If this were a real life situation, it would be time to go and put Shannon in her room and have a serious talk with whoever left her at the house that she is no longer welcome until she can behave. She’s starting to move into the dangerous territory where her violent tantrums could hurt people.
When a child exhibits behaviors that endanger life, limb or property, serious intervention is justified, including corporal punishment. A kitchen pot flying at ones head would qualify. So would running into a thoroughfare with abandon would also qualify.
But with cartoon characters with no intervention you get the Les’ and Tara’s on Luanniverse.
It probably wouldn’t be appropriate for Luann to actively discipline Shannon since she’s technically her aunt but only by marriage, but she CAN insist that Shannon’s dad pay for anything she damages during her tantrums or else not watch her anymore, THAT would encourage him to teach his daughter to not be a little sociopath.
Back in the day a common and usually effective way of dealing with a tantrum was to place the child in a room alone (hopefully with no projectiles) and not give that behavior the attention the child is demanding.
I’ll just add – isn’t Shannon school aged? About six years old? I’m trying to imagine her acting out like that in class, and what the consequences would be.
NO! In this case. she gets dragged into the room. She gets forced ( yes forced) to pick everything up and put it away. She does get a smack on the bum and a time out (in plain sight) and has to explain to Toni, Brad AND Jonah about her throwing stuff. THIS is too far. What if that picture had a glass front?
Just because people don’t agree with her coming in the bedroom early in costume, or making a mess. Those are a far cry from actual brattiness. Being demanding, rude etc are correctable things, but this is an ‘all hands on deck’ kind of thing.
Apparently there’s no humor in sitting her little ass on a chair and laying down the law on this kind of crap compared to seeing adults dodging pots and pans to the head.
Bern, this is your house too currently. Your not a guest … why don’t you get off your duff and so something about it instead of chatting to Lu about it?
So irritated by this bratty little character. No entertainment value here whatsoever, except for a mental picture of my mother dealing with it swiftly and efficiently.
My sister would lock herself in the bathroom, scream and kick the door. One day she kicked a big hole in the door. She never got punished and still has violent tantrums at age 63. She is also a 9th grade dropout and the town tramp. She is banned from my property because she is also a thief.
I’m not sure if this really happens in real life…but no child in my house throws anything of theirs angrily without facing a consequence. Throwing household items that’s not even theirs would not happen….it never has. Not once.
That’s one strong painting behind them to take a heavy sauce pan and the glass not shatter. just an observation.BTW, Shannon needs a visit from a belt to teach her about consequences from her actions.
I won’t be coming back to read how I am a bleeding heart liberal who has no idea how to handle unruly children. None of that is true. Well, my heart bleeds a little for children like Shannon. Not teaching her how to behave, not correcting her clearly inappropriate behavior, that just teaches her to escalate her destructive ways to get more and more attention. She is begging for instruction and structure. I really hope she is removed from this comic strip. I have never reacted this strongly to fiction, but reading so many adults saying this child needs to be physically injured due to behavior that has always been tolerated – it makes me sick. The blame goes directly to the writers, since Jonah is not a real person. The writers here are creating a child who has no place in a comic strip. If you don’t think I know abuse, follow a child abuse worker for a week, and expect to put in many long hours. Go to the homes, schools, hospitals, and the court room and see what can happen and where the behavior of the adult who damaged the child came from. I was not a vindictive social worker. I did all I could to keep kids with their families, and received many thanks for my calm treatment no matter what I saw, as my goal was to try to help people to learn how to improve their parenting skills. Shannon at this point, going unchecked for so long, is probably always going to struggle to fit into “normal” society.
Templo S.U.D. almost 4 years ago
Shannon sure is one — as Enya would call it — wild child.
Namrepus almost 4 years ago
And once again, she’ll face no consequences for her brattiness, which in this case, could have resulted in a severe head injury for one of them.
ImDaRealAni almost 4 years ago
Been in a similar situation. In 4th grade, some brainless kids at another table in front of us were hazardously playing with metal kitchen utensils during lunch. They (mindlessly) threw one fork that was within inches of me and right over the seat next to me. In a very lucky set of circumstances, the kid who sat next to me was actually absent that day.
Joe1962 almost 4 years ago
Shannon aim was getting better in each panel. Luann is taking the wrong approach.
eromlig almost 4 years ago
Don’t let her into the garage!!
Mordock999 Premium Member almost 4 years ago
You know.
If she sticks around long enough, I believe Tara and Shannon are going to get along just dandy.
And just wait until until Tara takes Shannon to the archery range. ;)
luann1212 almost 4 years ago
Okay I will give, ADHD or not Shannon is being a brat here and benign acceptance is not a good strategy, but funny here (not totally).
rklynch almost 4 years ago
I see Shannon’s bringing out the heavy artillery now…
Cheapskate0 almost 4 years ago
Are we reaching a point where the non-growth of characters is becoming irritating? Whether it’s Luann, Bernice, or today, Shannon, it seems as if no one is learning from their mistakes or the past.
And as an official Shannon fan, it is becoming doubly frustrating to see her being portrayed as without redeeming value just for a cheap punchline.
Chrisdiaz801 almost 4 years ago
She’s learning!
beb01 almost 4 years ago
I think a lot of us expected Shannon to be featured here but — gaaah! This is just beyond the pale. There’s nothing finny about it and Shannon’s behavior of commission and Luann’s behavior of omission are so outrageous that it’s ruined my mood for the rest of the night.
beb01 almost 4 years ago
The question of what happens on Monday seemed divided between more of the current story or a pivot to a story about some of the other characters. Which leads to the question: when was some other character featured in a story. It seems like we’re never getting away from the DeGRoot household anymore. Which is sad because I’m sick of the lot of them.
B UTTONS almost 4 years ago
Pots, pans, and kitchen utensils, the toys of toddlers.
But beware of brats bearing knives.
Leojim almost 4 years ago
Does the word evil ring a bell?
ronaldspence almost 4 years ago
Luann faces life with such unearned confidence and receives results with such uninformed surprise you wonder if she ever pays attention!
linus82 almost 4 years ago
Ahora tendrán que evitar los cuchillos, tenedores, platos y vasos de cristal, y cuando Shannon acabe con la cocina irá tras las herramientas de Frank.
BJShipley1 almost 4 years ago
Now can we call Shannon a brat?!
lvlax almost 4 years ago
Geesh! Luann is just an endless pit of brilliant ideas these days. Ignoring a kid who is constantly crying is one thing. You DON’T ignore a kid that keeps throwing items and destroying your house. She could have SERIOUSLY injured someone throwing that pan against the wall! Truth is, Brad is a FAR better role model and caregiver than Luann is these days.
Brdshtt Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Good thing Nancy does not keep any chainsaws in the kitchen.
Caldonia almost 4 years ago
It’s like we keep saying, no one disciplines that kid. So why would Luann, of all people? Maybe they should give Sarah a spinoff strip. Call it “Denise the Menace” or something.
Airman almost 4 years ago
With the exception of Frank, Nancy, and Puddles, the author has created a cast of really crappy characters.
Rhetorical_Question almost 4 years ago
Character Flaws are cute? It creates drama. Especially in small children?
Rhetorical_Question almost 4 years ago
Does Frank have power tools?
dadoctah almost 4 years ago
Right now what Shannon’s doing is a tantrum. When she gets to be Luann’s and Bernice’s age, it’s called “performance art”.
Rhetorical_Question almost 4 years ago
Jonah Daytona strikes Gold and moves to California, marry a movie starlet and starts an new family. He gives up Shannon for adoption. Shannon becomes an angry teenager, finds her mother in an overseas country with a family.
SeaSnork almost 4 years ago
I recently read from the beginning of the strip and Shannon first appeared when Luann would babysit a baby, Lindy. She would take Puddles with her. Then one time she could make more money because the daughter of a friend of Lindy’s mother would be there.
Younger Shannon! Named Shannon, looked like Shannon, acted like Shannon. She was in a few strips.
Fast forward to Toni.. She described Shannon as her cousin more than once.
Then Shannon was Toni’s niece.
Interesting.
Rhetorical_Question almost 4 years ago
https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2008/04/07. First appearance of Shannon- younger version
me_the_polish_gull almost 4 years ago
Good thing she didn’t hit Tara.
Jason Allen almost 4 years ago
Luann was partly right. Her fatal mistake was not sending Shannon to someone’s bedroom to throw that tantrum. Part of the tantrum is working out emotion and excess energy. The other is creating a spectacle for someone else to see. The key is to deny them that audience. Worked a treat in my babysitting days.
Lawrence.S almost 4 years ago
I’m really not sure the child rearing books suggest, “Let the little monster commit all the destructive violence he or she wants until the child calms down.”
Aladar30 Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Today, Shannon’s little girl brain was able to study the place around her and understand something new. What a disgrace!
STACEY MARSHALL Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Discipline the Shannon-Brat, or get her off this comic! She is becoming a juvenile Evil-Anne!
colddonkey almost 4 years ago
I love Shannon as she makes me even more thankful for not having kids.
EugeneWilson almost 4 years ago
Cute little Shannon needs a tail beating.
NeedaChuckle Premium Member almost 4 years ago
The kid will be like Tara’s cousin when she grows up.
JoeStoppinghem Premium Member almost 4 years ago
I have a friend who told me, “never be afraid to yell at other people’s kids.”
Shannon has to be told tantrums are not accepted nor done by adults.
She needs guidance or suggestions when these emotions are coming on to help control the outbursts. Letting them know the tantrum won’t get what they want and punishment can happen, time out, no playtime for a period etc.
Letting the tantrum, “run its course”, is not the answer.I’m wonder what Luann’s mom or dad would do.
David Jones Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Shannon must be stopped.
laurasohn11 almost 4 years ago
I’d give her a good few swats on the rear end and then I would make her clean up every single item that she threw at them. By the time she was done, she would get the idea that she shouldn’t do things like that
EasyEight almost 4 years ago
Remember a few week past when a comment was deleted that the wrong character was hit? G&K are giving us a terrible character and most of the readers don’t like her . But this is 2021 going on 1984. The media is paid to undermine well behaved and traditional folks.
rrsltx almost 4 years ago
With no consequences for her unacceptable behavior now, just imagine the mess she’ll be in 10 years from now. Her victims then won’t be so accommodating, and neither will the PoPo.
Ellis97 almost 4 years ago
She’s no a bad child. She just needs a little love.
Johnnyrico almost 4 years ago
Shannon’s posterior needs to taste a leather belt..
DebUSNRet almost 4 years ago
Yup, she needs some discipline all right, but, probably way too late in her life now.
artmer almost 4 years ago
Take the pan and paddle her.
mjgaillard almost 4 years ago
She’ll grow up to be a captain of industry or a mogul of finance.
ctolson almost 4 years ago
Ah, the pots and pans drum set.
Spence12 Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Time to get that kid some serious sedatives…
Billys mom2022 almost 4 years ago
Well, time to get out the PADDLE. oh and use it.
R.R.Bedford almost 4 years ago
Going “retro-parent” here; a bare backside, properly reddened facing outward from a corner of the room visible to all quickly modifies behavior. BTDT sassing, backtalk and temper tantrums ended promptly once the ultimate consequence was made known.
lmuller7 almost 4 years ago
Isn’t it weird that most politicians are not responsible for the bad laws, THEY, create ? And these laws are very hard to erase ? Hmmmm ?
Michael G. almost 4 years ago
No results to be had without consequences.
TheFiddleBackSpider almost 4 years ago
U don’t know how the brain of a phycho works lu
MuddyUSA Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Holy Crap!
Calliope almost 4 years ago
Wow, I’m super bored with Shannon’s character. She’s miserable to be around, destructive, and everyone just tolerates her. So, that’s fun…? Can she and her dad just move to Europe or something?
Crann Bethadh almost 4 years ago
First toys, then stuff from the kitchen. Better stop her before she gets to power tools.
Cincoflex almost 4 years ago
Really not fond of Shannon; I’m guessing there will be some sort of character story arc coming for her.
comic reader 22 almost 4 years ago
They could just get a chimpanzee and have the same behavior. I don’t know why they continue to write the Shannon character as such a misfit. They must not read the comments about her.
Moonkey Premium Member almost 4 years ago
All of the comments demanding violence on a child should make the writer reconsider how Shannon is written as a person. It’s going very dark and ugly for her as a character. No child deserves to be beaten, hit with a belt, a pan, pants dropped for a beatdown, etc. This is sick.
Otis Rufus Driftwood almost 4 years ago
Now you step in. They say children like Shannon just want attention. Sometimes they need it; just not the attention they are seeking.
pearlyqim almost 4 years ago
Brat!! Needs discipline!!
Lydushka almost 4 years ago
That is one child that needs major disciplinary consequences! that is not a child raised by wolves, it’s a child allowed to be a wolf!
raybarb44 almost 4 years ago
The line has been crossed and was actually crossed earlier after the first toy was thrown…..
sueb1863 almost 4 years ago
OK, throwing pots and pans is crossing the line. It looks like that was thrown with enough force to actually hurt Luann if it had gone just a foot lower. If it had hit her in the face it probably would have knocked out some teeth or broken some bones.
If this were a real life situation, it would be time to go and put Shannon in her room and have a serious talk with whoever left her at the house that she is no longer welcome until she can behave. She’s starting to move into the dangerous territory where her violent tantrums could hurt people.
Tyge almost 4 years ago
When a child exhibits behaviors that endanger life, limb or property, serious intervention is justified, including corporal punishment. A kitchen pot flying at ones head would qualify. So would running into a thoroughfare with abandon would also qualify.
But with cartoon characters with no intervention you get the Les’ and Tara’s on Luanniverse.
CynthiaLeigh almost 4 years ago
Brat. At least we don’t have to see her.
JD'Huntsville'AL almost 4 years ago
Liberals. 9-9
mistercatworks almost 4 years ago
Ha-ha. She’ll grow up to find a husband who think’s that’s funny and then have to stick with him after the traumatic brain injury.
Binky almost 4 years ago
Another Ann Awful in the making.
yangeldf almost 4 years ago
It probably wouldn’t be appropriate for Luann to actively discipline Shannon since she’s technically her aunt but only by marriage, but she CAN insist that Shannon’s dad pay for anything she damages during her tantrums or else not watch her anymore, THAT would encourage him to teach his daughter to not be a little sociopath.
kauri44 almost 4 years ago
Back in the day a common and usually effective way of dealing with a tantrum was to place the child in a room alone (hopefully with no projectiles) and not give that behavior the attention the child is demanding.
kauri44 almost 4 years ago
I’ll just add – isn’t Shannon school aged? About six years old? I’m trying to imagine her acting out like that in class, and what the consequences would be.
Willow Mt Lyon almost 4 years ago
The moment I started crying, I was put out on the porch, and the door was locked. I did the same with my boys.
A R V reader almost 4 years ago
“JONAH!! Please, come get this kid! She’s your daughter!” How long has her father been gone, anyway?
Terminal Frost Premium Member almost 4 years ago
NO! In this case. she gets dragged into the room. She gets forced ( yes forced) to pick everything up and put it away. She does get a smack on the bum and a time out (in plain sight) and has to explain to Toni, Brad AND Jonah about her throwing stuff. THIS is too far. What if that picture had a glass front?
Just because people don’t agree with her coming in the bedroom early in costume, or making a mess. Those are a far cry from actual brattiness. Being demanding, rude etc are correctable things, but this is an ‘all hands on deck’ kind of thing.
YorkGirl Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Even when she’s not shown, Shannon is destructive and unruly. Will someone ever discipline her? Not funny! :-/
percheronhitch6 almost 4 years ago
Apparently there’s no humor in sitting her little ass on a chair and laying down the law on this kind of crap compared to seeing adults dodging pots and pans to the head.
Dragoncat almost 4 years ago
Never underestimate Shannon. Ann Eiffel thought she could steal her crown one time, and we all know how that turned out.
Meowmocha almost 4 years ago
Shannon: 1
Luann: 0
coffeemom88 almost 4 years ago
That child needs a Southern Momma to set her straight, right quick!
Ukko wilko almost 4 years ago
A glass of cold water, poured on her head or a warm hand, applied to her posterior, with moderate force.
DG almost 4 years ago
Bern, this is your house too currently. Your not a guest … why don’t you get off your duff and so something about it instead of chatting to Lu about it?
nisedc almost 4 years ago
So irritated by this bratty little character. No entertainment value here whatsoever, except for a mental picture of my mother dealing with it swiftly and efficiently.
cyndefrizzell almost 4 years ago
That little brat needs her a** blistered
Skylark almost 4 years ago
I’ll take Max from Stone Soup any day over this monster. But it’s close!
bakana almost 4 years ago
Shannon has a more expansive definition of “Toy” than Luann does.
LeighBurton almost 4 years ago
The Degroots need to tear Shannon’s butt up!
PatsyL.Paul almost 4 years ago
My sister would lock herself in the bathroom, scream and kick the door. One day she kicked a big hole in the door. She never got punished and still has violent tantrums at age 63. She is also a 9th grade dropout and the town tramp. She is banned from my property because she is also a thief.
PeterPirate almost 4 years ago
Well, if/when Nancy and Frank clamp down on Luann for her recent shenanigans, they will get around to Shannon in due course.
Best get to it, rents.
kittysquared Premium Member almost 4 years ago
When will this child be disciplined? Better yet, Jonah needs to get his kid and leave this strip. The readers are long overdue an expla
kittysquared Premium Member almost 4 years ago
An explanation from Greg as to the whereabouts of Jonah. It’s ridiculous, irritating, and lazy.
Rhetorical_Question almost 4 years ago
Did the cartoonist cross the line of being realistic? Or the strip is evolving into a commentary about imaginative situations?
Vilyehm almost 4 years ago
TANSTACFAR
Vilyehm almost 4 years ago
“Brat. Brat for sale.”
Sorry. Watching Oliver on TV
Sisyphos almost 4 years ago
Shannon is a menace, quite literally. If Luann does not put a stop to this now, sooner or later Shannon will kill someone.
Kenezg almost 4 years ago
I’m not sure if this really happens in real life…but no child in my house throws anything of theirs angrily without facing a consequence. Throwing household items that’s not even theirs would not happen….it never has. Not once.
PeterPirate almost 4 years ago
Sturm und drang, and then meringue
The rents arrive and thence harangue
The door of Stella’s cell goes clang
Nancy’s glare could freeze champagne
Shannon ends things with a pwang
cowchips almost 4 years ago
This is why God make duct tape. This kid is out of control.
Call me Ishmael almost 4 years ago
I read the word “Shannon”, and I know I’ll regret reading further. This episode did not disappoint my expectations.
gnmnrbl almost 4 years ago
That’s one strong painting behind them to take a heavy sauce pan and the glass not shatter. just an observation.BTW, Shannon needs a visit from a belt to teach her about consequences from her actions.
Moonkey Premium Member almost 4 years ago
I won’t be coming back to read how I am a bleeding heart liberal who has no idea how to handle unruly children. None of that is true. Well, my heart bleeds a little for children like Shannon. Not teaching her how to behave, not correcting her clearly inappropriate behavior, that just teaches her to escalate her destructive ways to get more and more attention. She is begging for instruction and structure. I really hope she is removed from this comic strip. I have never reacted this strongly to fiction, but reading so many adults saying this child needs to be physically injured due to behavior that has always been tolerated – it makes me sick. The blame goes directly to the writers, since Jonah is not a real person. The writers here are creating a child who has no place in a comic strip. If you don’t think I know abuse, follow a child abuse worker for a week, and expect to put in many long hours. Go to the homes, schools, hospitals, and the court room and see what can happen and where the behavior of the adult who damaged the child came from. I was not a vindictive social worker. I did all I could to keep kids with their families, and received many thanks for my calm treatment no matter what I saw, as my goal was to try to help people to learn how to improve their parenting skills. Shannon at this point, going unchecked for so long, is probably always going to struggle to fit into “normal” society.