Categories
Parenting Cartoons teaching webcomic

Why caring for kids can be so unpredictable

Cartoon of a boy and a crying baby
Cartoon of a boy to crying baby, “Wait! Stop! This isn’t part of the script.”

Some people shy away from kids because they just don’t follow a set script. They are so unpredictable! One minute they can be happy, the next, wailing like the world has come to an end.

It can rattle different types of people.

  • Planners can feel frustrated when a child sends their day off course
  • People who value power feel powerless, especially if they’re used to throwing that power around. Babies don’t care about your authority.
  • Manipulators can be stymied because a baby hasn’t learned to be manipulated (unfortunately, we all learn quickly how to be manipulated!)
  • Tired people just aren’t going to get much sympathy from a baby. Get help quickly!
  • Young people may not have the coping skills or maturity to handle such a situation

It can  lead to tragedy if someone doesn’t handle the unpredictability appropriately. It breaks my heart and makes me angry when you hear a story about an innocent child that has experienced shaken baby syndrome.

If you are a tired parent or caregiver, get some help. We all need our rest. If you don’t know anyone, reach out to your local church. They value you and your child.

In the end, it is worth it. Children will not always be crying. There will be good days along with the bad. The unpredictability of a crying child goes hand in hand with the thrill of rediscovering the world through innocent eyes. The spontaneous crying goes with the unpredictable hugs. You will learn as much as you teach. You will laugh as well as cry with them. In the end, it is all worth it!

Categories
love Parenting Cartoons

The secret behind great parenting

Spear Cartoon 3976

Cartoon of an annoyed boy next to a sleeping mom. The boy says, “Hey! It’s four in the morning. Why aren’t I the center of your universe?”

Whenever you become a parent, you want to do everything you can to make sure that precious child will have a great life. You start to think about college. You may have a baseball mitt already picked out. You may even start dreaming about what a great boy or girl that child will be.

Of course, nobody can prepare you for the challenges. Maybe the baby has colic for the first few months. Perhaps you had no idea how much time it would take to take care of this little one. But you pull through and continue to think of your child’s future even when they’re driving you crazy. Everyone wants to see their child succeed, right?

There is one secret to parenting that will help your child succeed, even thrive in the world and it isn’t about make him or her the center of your universe!

“Wait a minute!” you may ask. “What about my child’s self esteem?”

I’ve got news for you. Making your child the center of the universe will only cause her to be disappointed when she gets into the real world. Either he will find out he wasn’t as special as he though and begin a downward slide, or he will push back against the world and end up becoming a jerk and a bully.

Now you shouldn’t make your child feel horrible either. Beating anybody with words or deeds doesn’t make them better. It only makes them resentful, bitter and a bully.

The secret is to teach our kids to love others as they love themselves. You can’t do that by making them feel they are better or worse than anyone else.  You do that by showing love and respect to others as well as themselves. You do that by teaching them to respect and obey you, even while they learn to respect themselves and others.

If you teach your kids they are special… but so are the other seven billion people on this planet, then they can have a hope and a future.

Categories
webcomic wisdom

Why who you hang around with makes a difference

Spear 3975

Cartoon of two boys observing a dog. One boy says, “If he likes it that much, I think you should try it.”

Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. Proverbs 13:20

When I was a kid, I had met some friends in our town park. One of the boys in the group claimed he had eaten dog food before and it was delicious. He encouraged all of us to join him at his house and have a feast Fido would be proud of.

All of us knew this kid liked to brag and we also knew he had a tendency to kid other kids to do outlandish things. Still, for a moment, all of us were hesitant to turn him down. Nobody wanted to look like a coward.

One person you hang around with can make all the difference in where your life will head. If you’re in school, do you hang around with people who will bring out the best in you, or the worse? If you’re in business, do you hang out with people that will inspire you to move up and succeed or do they prod you to gripe and procrastinate?

Whatever group you hang out with, you will begin to exhibit some of the same characteristics of that group. Be careful who you hang out with!

Categories
children cartoons webcomic

What to do when your hair has a mind of its own

Cartoon of a girl with wild hair

Cartoon of two girls. One has wild hair. The other says, “That’s crazy. Your hair really DOES have a mind of its own.”

Bad hair days can get you down. I feel for people that experience unruly hair. I have memories of those times. Unfortunately, as I get older, that becomes less and less of a problem.

I drew this cartoon when my daughter was experiencing a really bad hair day. She was young enough then to go with the flow. Now when she says she has a bad hair day, I can’t see the difference. It looks as beautiful as any other time. Maybe I’m looking at her with Dad-colored glasses. Or maybe I no longer notice when hair takes control of a poor individual.

Categories
webcomic

Remember Hurricane Season, 2005?

sketch of two birds in winter gear

I drew this idea back in 2005 when the hurricane season was brutal. It feels like a distant memory considering how mild the last couple of seasons have been.

It just goes to show you things change quickly. if things look bad, they’ll get better eventually. If things are good, remember to save a little for the future. You never know what  may come your way.