Coffee Talk
Welcome to Elly's Coffee Talk, where every day we feature some of the comments we get from Lynn's devoted readers, and occasionally we'll share a message from Lynn herself. If you have a comment or a story that relates to FBorFW, please share it by clicking on "Spill Your Beans Here"!


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Monday April 27, 2009

I think that the strip is wonderful and I check it every day, it is part of my routine. Sort of helps me know I am not alone in my insanity of staying home with my children, lol.

Just a few replies to other posts:

When you have young children you do unfortunately end up spending a lot of time yelling. I don't particularly enjoy spending my whole day yelling but kids seem to have a way of not listening to anything unless you raise your voice. They are always pushing buttons and testing the limits it is part of being a child, especially after they reach the age of two.

To my knowledge Peter has never been on the whose who page because we never actually meet him (that I know of). He was never introduced, outside of name mentioning, in the strip. And yes, there are two sides to every story but how many times do we ever get to hear more than one side in real life?

Allison K, Nashville, TN

Connie's bio in Who's Who explains who Peter is. He was never a character, only part of Connie's "back-story" and therefore he does not have his own listing. Connie's history never made sense to me until I read her full biography.

Linda, Vernon, BC

I have always loved your comic strip. My daughter was Elizabeth's age and since her middle name was Elizabeth I felt a tie between our girls! I often called her Lizzie! When I read your last collection and you wrote that it was your last I felt a sense of loss. Even though our paper had been running old strips which has given me a clue. I feel I have lost a friend!

Debra B, Cedar Hill, TX

I have a big problem with yesterday's and today's strips showing Michael being withheld dinner as punishment. Food is a physical necessity for all of us, especially a growing child. Denying a child food, especially if done habitually, constitutes child abuse and child neglect. It's also a great way to begin an eating disorder in your child.

I don't know what child rearing practices are in Canada, but where I live, if you refuse to feed your kids you'll be getting a visit from Child Protective Services.

Psychologist Mom of Two, IL

In today's strip (April 24), apparently Michael is being sent to bed without supper. In my opinion, deliberately withholding food from a child, for any reason, is a form of child abuse.

John, Scottsdale, AZ

Watching Elly deal with Michael's impertinence, and recalling earlier comments about today's parents being too soft on their kids because they themselves were not subjected to enough discipline at home, I wonder if that's in fact the case. I suspect that many of today's parents are simply too exhausted from dealing with problems surrounding work, and with financial worries, to relish the idea of investing even more energy in confrontations during "Family Hour". Applying Discipline, of any kind, ALWAYS involves confrontation. The temptation to overlook or downplay a child's misbehaviors must be almost overwhelming for an already stressed-out parent. Life in the 1950s may not have been perfect -- but it was a lot less uncertain.

Anna M, Winnipeg, MB

Here's a helpful hint for tying twine or ribbon when there aren't any extra hands around: Simply use a small piece of tape to hold your twine in place as you make your knot. No clean hands required!

Kelly L, New York, NY