For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for January 18, 2009

Sir, you mean you did not thank your sister. Why must your wife do all the work of thanking people?Look at her face – she does not like the noisy toy.

an experience parent will quickly identify an “aunties’ house” toy - a toy that is left at aunties’ house and only played with when visiting

One of the most fun toys I remember. But my nephews got even noisier ones, heh, heh, heh….

I believe there’s a special place in hell for people who give other people’s children penny whistles, drums, and toys like this.

I solved that little problem. All toys that didn’t pass my screening were quickly given away. The kids never missed them, and a needy kid with few toys got a new one. Even if it was noisy, it was noisy at someone elses house.

People who give toys like this do not have kids. Wait until they are parents. You know what they say..” Payback’s a b—h.”

I don’t remember him having a sister in the later ones or did we just see moms side of the family most of the time.

As a stay-at-home mom, you eventually learn to block out the noise.

When my niece was small toddler, she loved to play with that noisy toy thing all the time. The noise did not bother me at all. LOLs!

We got our year old grandson the classic Fisher-Price circus music push-roller this holiday season - if our kids drove us nuts with those incessant jangling chimes, why shouldn’t we return the favor with theirs??? :)

The perfect toy for the daughter of your worst enemy: A Barbie Doll! Just sit back and watch them go bankrupt buying all those accessories!!!MUH-HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Shades: Remember “Aunt Beth Cruikshank” at the farm?

Just remember to check on what they are doing when everything goes very quiet. The voice of experience.

I remember when my son received a little xylophone from my Mom, it was a “playing at Grandma’s house” toy.

We stayed recently with a couple who had a little boy who had this same toy. It was so annoying! But little kids just love making noise. Made me so glad I never had kids.

Wildmustang sometimes I’d be with my deaf friend Geri and it would be noisy somewhere and I’d tell her that and she’d say, “Oh it’s so quiet in here!” It was so funny.

People who don’t have kids give the younguns those kind of toys with a big ol’ evil grin on our faces.

Yea, but as long as they’re making noise, you know where they are and what they’re doing! It’s when they get quiet, you’d better start to worry!!!

Ah memories! The Christmas drum kit for my boys stayed at my mother’s house.

My in-laws purposely gave my kids toys for birthdays, Christmas, etc. that required batteries. I “conveniently” didn’t have any in the house for a few weeks, just so I could enjoy a little more quiet time!! They’re 11,10 and 8 now. They were 4,3 and 1 then!! I’m so bad!!!

i got my nephew a drum set for his birthday when he turned 4

i became an outcast for some reason

John’s sister is Bev Cruikshank, who is modeled on Beth Cruikshank, the real-life sister of Lynn Johnston’s ex-husband.

http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/ForBetterorForWorse-Characters/id/5056141

(if link is broken, insert an underscore after each word in “For Better or For Worse”, plus an underscore after the hyphen)

Didn’t his sister have the farm that April went to, during the Summer? It was in Manitoba. That was where she became inspired to be a vet.

thank god I’ve never had kids, and never will.

I like it when my toddler plays with noisy toys - that way I know where in the house he is!