Exactly. But they’re still really young, and that’s one of the harder lessons for a lot of people to learn, if they ever do.
Having a depth of knowledge doesn’t have to be a cudgel whipped out at every opportunity. It can be a ‘sociable syrup’, used to draw others into a conversation, excite them, entertain and lead them to new discoveries that will make them feel smarter.
If you’re only using it as a big, red conversational correction pencil to gatekeep and ‘grade’ them, you’re doing it wrong.
But that lesson is far down the road for these two. Lots of growing and building of their own confidence and self esteem to be done yet.
Went straight from, “Welcome to McDonald’s” to “Is that for here or to go?” and totally forgot the “What can I get you?” and “Would you like fries with that?”.
Kids being reluctant about school is a beaten to death trope.
Why, oh why couldn’t Charlotte be a different, dare I say it, original character and be a kid who has fun being smart, hasn’t met a challenge she doesn’t like yet, and her dirty little secret is that the start of school is just a half step behind the start of summer vacation as her favorite day of the year?
Perhaps, but it would be up to the parents to add a little “sociable syrup” to the mix of keep contacts going; group outings, movies together, sleepovers, etc.
As for her new school cohort, it would have only been one grade, correct? So only a year older? Granted that’s ‘a WHOLE YEAR older’, lol, from a kids’ perspective, but I’d think manageable with a little guidance.
Overall, the strip is fine. But Steen occasionally has a payoff that lands with a real thud for me.
Still, better than most.