She’s classic ADHD. I’d know – People in my family have ADD/ADHD. Wonder how she does at school…is she capable of sitting down in one place? Pay attention? Answer to the questions asked rather than what she wants the answers to be…etc. She is the student the teachers immediately call the parents to put them on medicine. My son did not really need medicine until he was 12 due to that he was unable to focus. He was restless and unfocused but was not a distraction to the class. He did not like the effects of the medicine so he went off it around age 16. Never went back on it. My grandson also has it – more ADD as hyperactivity is not evident. Hopefully her ADHD will be addressed at some point. Luann probably sees some Shannons in her kidscare class and ask around.
Thongs as skimpy as the one on puddles are barely enough to make an exotic dancer legal. I’m almost surprised that Luann has one. She hasn’t really exhibited all that much libido, but perhaps she has her fantasies.
In the 50s and 60s some sort of corrective action would have been applied to Shannon. Additionally, her father’s lack of consideration would also have been addressed.
OK – Maybe half an hour for this stuff. After that – TV – coloring book – puzzles… Shannon can’t be allowed to run everybody ragged until bedtime. The big moment of truth will be when Shannon yells, “I’m bored.” Time to explain to Shannon that she is not the center of the universe.
Someone seriously needs to teach that kid to keep out of other people’s things unless she asks first. Rooting through drawers like she owns the place has become a habit of hers, and it should be nipped in the bud.And whose thong is that anyway? Because it can’t possibly be Luann’s.
Yhanks to Shannon she’ve had a week of Luann. But as a number of this weeks strips end with Luann wearing a frowny face I wonder if she will reconsider a career as a teacher.. or a mother.
The strips with the 20 kids’ from Kidz First interacting among themselves and with Luann and Tiffany are much more appealing than the ones with Shannon’s being her annoying and bossy self, and all the adult’s letting her get away with it. Since Team Evans apparently wants to concentrate on kids again, they should use that Day Care setting rather than bringing Shannon on board.
As a teacher for 40 years, I would say this is less ADHD (though she may have it) and more a sign of what happens to kids who are neglected by their parents, or in her case, parent. She wants and needs attention from HER DAD. As a reaction to her Dad not being there, she seeks attention from everyone else around her.
Send her to a local day camp. All towns have them and are not expensive. They wear the kids out swimming and playing running games outside. They learn social skills and make friends.
Whose drawer (drawers) do you suppose Shannon is rummaging through? Pretty skimpy underwear in there. Neither one of these adult characters have been portrayed as overly sexualized. But then Luann HAS shown a bit of a wild streak lately. Woohoo!
Shannon’s problem is there are no adults in her life that will say “no” to her. Everyone we’ve seen thus far has catered to her varied and ever-changing whims. Her dad, Brad, Toni, T.J., Luann, and Pru are all just her playthings at this point; not a one of them is giving her what she needs, though.
She is a little girl with a powerful active mind. Many parents and doctors want to tranquilize that mind instead of developing it. Trying to make all kid into a cookie cutter class.
“Identified patient” is a term used in a clinical setting to describe the person in a dysfunctional family who has been unconsciously selected to act out the family’s inner conflicts as a diversion. This person, often a child, is “the split-off carrier of a breakdown in the entire family system,” which may be a transgenerational disturbance or trauma.
Shannon is Greg’s imaginary paper puppet. Diagnose his motivations on display, as he speaks his feelings through this cast of characters. Is his outlook positive or negative? “Real” is not an acceptable answer.
MY son had ADHD or has it as an adult but is totally mainstream now, in fact is in a very responsible management position as a large community swim program with leagues and everything, and he supervises 30 people. Nonchalantly told me he had to fire somebody the other day. My Son! There are so many people who have this and other learning disabilities. but for the love and care of parents, and good, thoughtful, careful professionals can become the most competent adults there can be. Many millionaires, and not a few billionaires had these kinds of diagnosis, or should have. Rather than characterize them as brats, or needing corporal punishment, or other Stone Age corrective actions, maybe a more intelligent and loving attitude toward children would mean we would have more intelligent, successful, and loving adults. Sorry I am preaching, but I can’t help it on this subject, or when people are just being totally bigoted. Bleeding heart social progressive disease I guess (lol).
I heard Chris DeBurgh’s “Lady in Red” on the radio at the time, so I colored the miniscule undergarment appropriately. A few minutes later, Neil Diamond was singing. Thong sung blue just didn’t do it for me.
I recently put up a post about family dynamics. Capricorn9th asked me to talk about it in layman’s English, so here goes: It’s something we were taught back when I was doing a fellowship. Essentially, parents drag in a kid who is acting like Shannon. This kid is the “Identified Patient.” We’d put a team together and do a series of intense therapies on the entire family, bringing in as many family members as necessary, including parents, grandparents and any other family member that might have influence on the kid. Bottom line is that there are many people impacting the kid’s behavior, and the kid is acting the way he/she is in response to problems the entire family has. The older members of the family are able to conceal their problems, but the problems of the family are going to come out one way or another. The kid is a reflection of problems within the family, though everyone in the family uses the kid as a scapegoat and blames the kid. We’d usually have two or three therapists in the room with the family, and one person observing the therapy through a one way mirror. The family knew the observer was there, and the observer would occasionally come into the room, drop a bombshell (usually addressing the “elephant in the room” that no one would talk about), and then return to the observation room. It was amazing to me how easy it became to see the dysfunctional aspects of the family, and to help them all correct their problems. We’d do one of these intense, all day sessions every few weeks, and the kid would improve based on the improvements in members of the family. I would probably bring in Shannon, Jonah, Toni, Brad, Toni’s aunt, and even Luann and her parents on occasion, to get to the basis of why Shannon acts the way she does. I worked with John Weakland (now deceased) and other members of the Palo Alto Group on these therapies. I agree that Shannon should be evaluated for ADHD, but she doesn’t necessarilly have that problem.
Pru and Lu have a tough time dealing with Shannon together, but Luann can deal with 20 at Kids First by herself (or with only Tiffany, which amounts to the same thing). Says something about Shannon….
1. Was that Luann’s undies drawer or her mom’s or Pru’s? Because that thong is usually seen on pole dancers. 2. What is up with Shannon? We’ve seen her act up to get her way, but she is totally out of control now. I don’t think it is ADD so much as a little girl, with no real supervision or guidance in her life. I’m thinking Jonah might not be coming back and that might be a good thing.
I think the message is clear, WE’VE HAD ENOUGH OF SHANNON. The kid needs boundaries, and we need to see less of her. Besides annoying the crap out of everyone, what was the reason to devote a week (or was it even longer…it seems like forever) to this minor character? The same gag for days (overactive, bossy girl). Please, make it stop.
Shannon is hardly out of control. They have her controlled so well Shannon has no idea. Yet they make sure she is dressed properly and still play with her. And for a child which is ultimately powerless, she is given some modicum of power even if it is at their behest. And they reign in her more extravagant and ridiculous wants like 6 scoops of icecream. They giver her one. The parenting that is going on is low key yet effective. But too many think that over bearing authoritarianism is the only way to do it.
Just want to comment on one of Shannon’s requests: “I gotta pee.” That should hardly faze Luann. Shannon isn’t out in the middle of the woods, or on a highway 30 miles from the nearest rest stop. She’s in Luann’s own house. There are bathrooms there.
Templo S.U.D. over 7 years ago
Seems like Shannon is a 20-kid powerhouse.
AnyFace over 7 years ago
Whoa~!! Six Panels~!!
David Huie Green LoveJoyAndPeace over 7 years ago
Her strength is as the strength of 20.
howtheduck over 7 years ago
While I am excited that Puddles is still alive, I do wonder whose thong it is that adorns Puddle’s face.
capricorn9th over 7 years ago
She’s classic ADHD. I’d know – People in my family have ADD/ADHD. Wonder how she does at school…is she capable of sitting down in one place? Pay attention? Answer to the questions asked rather than what she wants the answers to be…etc. She is the student the teachers immediately call the parents to put them on medicine. My son did not really need medicine until he was 12 due to that he was unable to focus. He was restless and unfocused but was not a distraction to the class. He did not like the effects of the medicine so he went off it around age 16. Never went back on it. My grandson also has it – more ADD as hyperactivity is not evident. Hopefully her ADHD will be addressed at some point. Luann probably sees some Shannons in her kidscare class and ask around.
Wizardgoat over 7 years ago
Thongs as skimpy as the one on puddles are barely enough to make an exotic dancer legal. I’m almost surprised that Luann has one. She hasn’t really exhibited all that much libido, but perhaps she has her fantasies.
geneking7320 over 7 years ago
In the 50s and 60s some sort of corrective action would have been applied to Shannon. Additionally, her father’s lack of consideration would also have been addressed.
GovernmentCheese over 7 years ago
I see that Shannon has stumbled across Mr. DeGroot’s underwear collection.
Airman over 7 years ago
Six images of Shannon. This must be a cartoonist’s answer to water boarding.
auramac over 7 years ago
We have a new winner- Most Obnoxious Character in the history of this strip. Completely unamusing. Not one single moment of childlike cuteness. Weird.
kinsler33 over 7 years ago
I wonder if Shannon has any friends. Ruthie is bossy, but not like this.
kenhense over 7 years ago
OK – Maybe half an hour for this stuff. After that – TV – coloring book – puzzles… Shannon can’t be allowed to run everybody ragged until bedtime. The big moment of truth will be when Shannon yells, “I’m bored.” Time to explain to Shannon that she is not the center of the universe.
Brdshtt Premium Member over 7 years ago
By Luann’s admission, Shannon is like having 20 of Luann’s Kidz First kids.
BJShipley1 over 7 years ago
Someone seriously needs to teach that kid to keep out of other people’s things unless she asks first. Rooting through drawers like she owns the place has become a habit of hers, and it should be nipped in the bud.And whose thong is that anyway? Because it can’t possibly be Luann’s.
JayBluE over 7 years ago
“20 Kid Pile-Up”
“Ladies And Tangents”
“A Question Marks The Spot”
“The Indianapolis 500 Thoughts”
“Out Of One, So …Many! "
“E Pluribus Uno…Dos…Tres…Quatro…Cinco……Seis…..”
“Lights! Camera!….Ooh, Is That A Nickel?”
“A Penny For Your Thoughts Would Cause Inflation”
“Weary, The People”
“Who?, What?, Where, ‘Why Me?’….And, How?”
“Take A Load Off, Shannon….” (♪)
“Kid Dynamo” (♬)
“Vigor, And Vimeo”
“She’s Got Watts And Watts Of Power”
“She’s A Wreckin’, Wreckin’, Wreckin’- …Wreckin’ Mach-iiiiine….” (♪)
“Watching Tons, In The Distract Of ‘Carumba!’ "
“Waiting On Calgon, To Pick Me Up And Take Me To The Airport”
“For Sure, And 20 Kids Ago….”
or
“Assume The Inquisition”
beb01 over 7 years ago
Yhanks to Shannon she’ve had a week of Luann. But as a number of this weeks strips end with Luann wearing a frowny face I wonder if she will reconsider a career as a teacher.. or a mother.
submachine over 7 years ago
A bratty kid like that needs to be paddled, but good
seismic-2 Premium Member over 7 years ago
The strips with the 20 kids’ from Kidz First interacting among themselves and with Luann and Tiffany are much more appealing than the ones with Shannon’s being her annoying and bossy self, and all the adult’s letting her get away with it. Since Team Evans apparently wants to concentrate on kids again, they should use that Day Care setting rather than bringing Shannon on board.
NeedaChuckle Premium Member over 7 years ago
Snails in melted butter are quite tasty.
seismic-2 Premium Member over 7 years ago
If the point of these last two weeks has been to make the readers want Shannon to become a permanent part of the DeGroot family, it hasn’t worked.
dlsnyder55 over 7 years ago
As a teacher for 40 years, I would say this is less ADHD (though she may have it) and more a sign of what happens to kids who are neglected by their parents, or in her case, parent. She wants and needs attention from HER DAD. As a reaction to her Dad not being there, she seeks attention from everyone else around her.
cgg over 7 years ago
Is that a thong on Pru’s head?
reedkomicks Premium Member over 7 years ago
Send her to a local day camp. All towns have them and are not expensive. They wear the kids out swimming and playing running games outside. They learn social skills and make friends.
Tyge over 7 years ago
Whose drawer (drawers) do you suppose Shannon is rummaging through? Pretty skimpy underwear in there. Neither one of these adult characters have been portrayed as overly sexualized. But then Luann HAS shown a bit of a wild streak lately. Woohoo!
old_timey_dude over 7 years ago
Why is Pru helping out anyway? She’s not obligated here…
Bucinka over 7 years ago
Panel 2: “I’m gonna be a vegetarian….”Panel 3: “What do snails taste like?”That sure didn’t last long.
duckman26 over 7 years ago
Shannon’s problem is there are no adults in her life that will say “no” to her. Everyone we’ve seen thus far has catered to her varied and ever-changing whims. Her dad, Brad, Toni, T.J., Luann, and Pru are all just her playthings at this point; not a one of them is giving her what she needs, though.
marvee over 7 years ago
Time for a visit to the pediatrician. Some medication might help, if they don’t over-medicate.
Mordock999 Premium Member over 7 years ago
Hey Luann!! It’s Story-time!! Tell Shannon a Story!!! She just Loooooooves Stories!!!
And You’re in Luck! I just happen to have a large selection of “Children’s” Books on hand!
Here, start with Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” Followed by Golding’s “Lord of the Flies!”
And Tomorrow, You can read Her, Stephen King’s “It!”
Code the Enforcer over 7 years ago
And Puddles LIVES! That’s good … but for how long??!!
Code the Enforcer over 7 years ago
Any guesses as to how long the time span was in Panels 3A, 3B, and 3C?? … I’m sayin’ three seconds tops!!!!
KeepKeeper over 7 years ago
She is a little girl with a powerful active mind. Many parents and doctors want to tranquilize that mind instead of developing it. Trying to make all kid into a cookie cutter class.
sallymargaret over 7 years ago
“Identified patient” is a term used in a clinical setting to describe the person in a dysfunctional family who has been unconsciously selected to act out the family’s inner conflicts as a diversion. This person, often a child, is “the split-off carrier of a breakdown in the entire family system,” which may be a transgenerational disturbance or trauma.
Airman over 7 years ago
Shannon is Greg’s imaginary paper puppet. Diagnose his motivations on display, as he speaks his feelings through this cast of characters. Is his outlook positive or negative? “Real” is not an acceptable answer.
treadwell over 7 years ago
No more Shannon, ever. Please.
luann1212 over 7 years ago
MY son had ADHD or has it as an adult but is totally mainstream now, in fact is in a very responsible management position as a large community swim program with leagues and everything, and he supervises 30 people. Nonchalantly told me he had to fire somebody the other day. My Son! There are so many people who have this and other learning disabilities. but for the love and care of parents, and good, thoughtful, careful professionals can become the most competent adults there can be. Many millionaires, and not a few billionaires had these kinds of diagnosis, or should have. Rather than characterize them as brats, or needing corporal punishment, or other Stone Age corrective actions, maybe a more intelligent and loving attitude toward children would mean we would have more intelligent, successful, and loving adults. Sorry I am preaching, but I can’t help it on this subject, or when people are just being totally bigoted. Bleeding heart social progressive disease I guess (lol).
Sheriff Mordecai Premium Member over 7 years ago
I heard Chris DeBurgh’s “Lady in Red” on the radio at the time, so I colored the miniscule undergarment appropriately. A few minutes later, Neil Diamond was singing. Thong sung blue just didn’t do it for me.
STACEY MARSHALL Premium Member over 7 years ago
Time to put the mini-beast in a cage!
videodziner over 7 years ago
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OMG, YOU’RE KILLING ME!!!! THAT KID PUT UNDERWEAR ON PIDDLES!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH1
sallymargaret over 7 years ago
I recently put up a post about family dynamics. Capricorn9th asked me to talk about it in layman’s English, so here goes: It’s something we were taught back when I was doing a fellowship. Essentially, parents drag in a kid who is acting like Shannon. This kid is the “Identified Patient.” We’d put a team together and do a series of intense therapies on the entire family, bringing in as many family members as necessary, including parents, grandparents and any other family member that might have influence on the kid. Bottom line is that there are many people impacting the kid’s behavior, and the kid is acting the way he/she is in response to problems the entire family has. The older members of the family are able to conceal their problems, but the problems of the family are going to come out one way or another. The kid is a reflection of problems within the family, though everyone in the family uses the kid as a scapegoat and blames the kid. We’d usually have two or three therapists in the room with the family, and one person observing the therapy through a one way mirror. The family knew the observer was there, and the observer would occasionally come into the room, drop a bombshell (usually addressing the “elephant in the room” that no one would talk about), and then return to the observation room. It was amazing to me how easy it became to see the dysfunctional aspects of the family, and to help them all correct their problems. We’d do one of these intense, all day sessions every few weeks, and the kid would improve based on the improvements in members of the family. I would probably bring in Shannon, Jonah, Toni, Brad, Toni’s aunt, and even Luann and her parents on occasion, to get to the basis of why Shannon acts the way she does. I worked with John Weakland (now deceased) and other members of the Palo Alto Group on these therapies. I agree that Shannon should be evaluated for ADHD, but she doesn’t necessarilly have that problem.
Sisyphos over 7 years ago
Pru and Lu have a tough time dealing with Shannon together, but Luann can deal with 20 at Kids First by herself (or with only Tiffany, which amounts to the same thing). Says something about Shannon….
RSH over 7 years ago
Be careful Queen Powerstick, Captain Underpants is holding the ‘weedwacker’.
nathenleeturner over 7 years ago
1. Was that Luann’s undies drawer or her mom’s or Pru’s? Because that thong is usually seen on pole dancers. 2. What is up with Shannon? We’ve seen her act up to get her way, but she is totally out of control now. I don’t think it is ADD so much as a little girl, with no real supervision or guidance in her life. I’m thinking Jonah might not be coming back and that might be a good thing.
kittysquared Premium Member over 7 years ago
I think the message is clear, WE’VE HAD ENOUGH OF SHANNON. The kid needs boundaries, and we need to see less of her. Besides annoying the crap out of everyone, what was the reason to devote a week (or was it even longer…it seems like forever) to this minor character? The same gag for days (overactive, bossy girl). Please, make it stop.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 7 years ago
Shannon is hardly out of control. They have her controlled so well Shannon has no idea. Yet they make sure she is dressed properly and still play with her. And for a child which is ultimately powerless, she is given some modicum of power even if it is at their behest. And they reign in her more extravagant and ridiculous wants like 6 scoops of icecream. They giver her one. The parenting that is going on is low key yet effective. But too many think that over bearing authoritarianism is the only way to do it.
gromit82 over 7 years ago
Just want to comment on one of Shannon’s requests: “I gotta pee.” That should hardly faze Luann. Shannon isn’t out in the middle of the woods, or on a highway 30 miles from the nearest rest stop. She’s in Luann’s own house. There are bathrooms there.
Happicat2012 over 7 years ago
Luann wears thong underwear??
pmasters over 7 years ago
You idiots do realize she’s a CARTOON CHARACTER, don’t you? She’s NOT A REAL PERSON. NONE OF THESE PEOPLE ARE.