For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 15, 2018

Wouldn’t you like to know, John.

In Panel 3, what Elly really means is that the attachment has a beater bar on it. You don’t find many of those in modern vacuums (at least not where I live). Many people mistakenly understand the beater bar to be the rotating brush roll fixed at the bottom of the vacuum cleaner head. A beater bar is actually a smoothly contoured metal agitator bar that is fixed to the rotating brush rolls in addition to the bristle brushes. Hoover invented this agitator bar in the 1920s and their long time marketing slogan “It beats, as it sweeps, as it cleans“.

Maybe – and this is just a thought! – maybe they aren’t ready to clean the whole house on their own?

John, Take them to the office, put them in charge of extractions and root planings. Spend all your time carping at them.

John has to learn to hide in the work shop/garage!

I had a vacuum cleaner like that years ago – it really sucked.

My Mother had an ‘Electrolux’ tank vacuum similar to the one that Mike is using. From what I could tell—it worked great—at least Mom never complained about it. Although I (and i stress) I didn’t like changing the bags all that well.

What kid plays in a toilet, even when cleaning it?

I felt the same way when we finished “spring cleaning” at my school last Friday. Only that I had to direct 26 kids at the same time. They did a pretty good job, though.

Because Elly’s kids are doing their chores the same way we did ours when we were a kid.

This is why my mother eventually did the housework herself. And also why I am a lousy housekeeper; all those years of being told I was doing it wrong stuck with me, so why bother trying if you’re just going to be yelled at.

John’s remarks is typical of a man.

Anyone you know that has a purple bare floor?

My favourite oxymoron: non-working mother.

I think El means outlet not plug.

Everyone’s got to learn, and mom is the only available teacher for home maintenance. Being a teacher is hard work. Good job, El!

We let our girls follow us around and beg to help. “I’m not sure you’re big enough yet.” They follow around, watching, asking questions, begging, and generally try to prove they are big enough. Eventually, we let them try. A few mistakes, but nothing like the comic.

I’m not fully certain that allowing them to do the work without corrections would be better.

I envision this (because I have 2 kids these kids’ ages) that the kids have been told and shown how to clean before, but hate it and don’t want to do too well anyway. They made a mess in the living room and downstairs bathroom. Lizzie was told to clean that bathroom counter, toilet and sink. Michael was told to tidy the living room and vacuum. Not unreasonable.

They have done this before, but Lizzie (like my husband) thinks more cleaner is always better, and trying to make more mess than she’s cleaning- so she does need correction. And Michael thinks it’s easier not to switch attachments or unplug it till the last second (that last sin is one of mine as well!), and nobody wants to get a new plug or hardwood floor refinish. And the thing about the laundry is infuriating and usually, in our house, leads to all the laundry getting mixed up and needing to be re-done.

I always hated cleaning. I get it.