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dreadedcandiru2As history teaches us, the Pattersons seem to be obsessed with the notion of establishing unquestioned dominance over their children. The idea of allowing them to have input in what happens to them is seen as being dire and evil a surrender as thinking that they aren't actually plotting to overthrow their parents. That being said, we have to remember that the Pattersons all believe confuse intent with result and are convinced that everyone understands the world in the exact same way that they do at any given point in time.
What this tends to mean is that having to actively monitor small children to make sure that they don't drink drain cleaner or crack their skulls open is seen as a means by which children who actually do understand what the poison control symbols mean and what gravity is can pretend that they don't so that they can deny the mother they hate free time.
This would be bad enough were it not for the general premise of the strip being Elly thinking to herself "HUM!!! The children survived what all of those mean picky-faces who hate me and tell me I can do better than what's right call negligence; therefore, my ignoring them was the right thing to do." What this means is that we can expect Katie and Lane to be the targets of Lynnsights about denying childhood for years to come. Given that this will accompany Lynnsights in which Elly will be "vindicated" for making the absurd assumptions she does about why children do dumb things, we're in for a lot of bad parenting being presented as good.
What this tends to mean is that having to actively monitor small children to make sure that they don't drink drain cleaner or crack their skulls open is seen as a means by which children who actually do understand what the poison control symbols mean and what gravity is can pretend that they don't so that they can deny the mother they hate free time.
This would be bad enough were it not for the general premise of the strip being Elly thinking to herself "HUM!!! The children survived what all of those mean picky-faces who hate me and tell me I can do better than what's right call negligence; therefore, my ignoring them was the right thing to do." What this means is that we can expect Katie and Lane to be the targets of Lynnsights about denying childhood for years to come. Given that this will accompany Lynnsights in which Elly will be "vindicated" for making the absurd assumptions she does about why children do dumb things, we're in for a lot of bad parenting being presented as good.
