For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for November 08, 2023

As nature intended!

Yeah, well, without John, y’all would not be living as high on the hog as you do.

Well you’re not much help with the feeding ….

Quick! Grunt and scratch to distract them.

Come on, girls. John is not a dog. He’s an excellent caretaker. And there are some species which dads participate in taking care of his young. The mama owl in my palm tree flies from the nest when the papa owl comes at sunset with the food for their owlets. She takes that time to feed herself. When sunrise comes, she returns to the nest and the papa leaves. Not sure if all owls species do the same way as the Great Horned Owl

Farley is old enough to be the grandfather of those pups

Cuz’ your fly is open

Having read this strip in the paper when it originally ran, I’m dreading what will happen soon.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it, Fathers suck. Happy?

If I remember correctly, John is the bread-winner in the family. He provides for them, takes care of their financial needs, and supports them entirely. Back in caveman times, the male was the “hunter, gatherer” and the female was the “nurturer”. Those lines are completely blurred in modern times. The “his job, my job” is disappearing.

not true in our house

Oddly enough this is a good fit with John and April. As real fans will remember, John held the newborn April right after birth and then did not touch her again for a month at which point he was calling his cousin Fiona Brass to move in and help with the baby. Fiona was a disaster and all because John could not be bothered to pitch in with newborn April. That was not so long ago that all these women would remember that. John deserves those looks from them, especially from April.

Yeah. Because if it escapes your attention, males can’t produce milk, no matter what the weirdos claim. They can, however, go out and work themselves into an early grave so that you ladies can buy some milk. And wine. And heat. And a roof over your head.

Among animals in spans the range from fathers who are entirely uninvolved with their offspring, to some species of penguins where the father protects an egg lying on his feet for months in harsh freezing Antactic winds, without eating…

I blame it on diapers

Of course Farley should see his kids. And whichever one walks up to him and says “Dada” is the one the Pattersons keep

Don’t you even look at your Dad that way……

That is a load of horse crap. Male dogs and cats have taken over raising their and other animal babies on occasion.

Animals and people are not one and the same. There was a strip where Elizabeth praised Farley for not judging her and asked why God allowed humans dominion over the Earth. Animals fight; they fight over territory, they fight over females, and their fights can be to the death.

Respect animals, yes. Consider animals our equals, no, just as children are not the equals of adults. Worship animals, absolutely not.

Dad is the hunter gatherer who goes out and finds the food, builds the shelter, etc.. that permits the mother to care for the young.

Well, if you want it done correctly…

Walk away John, walk away.

Hey, he is equal part of the whole affair. Fathers role is difficult to comprehend but he is equally responsible for the upbringing.