For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for January 18, 2023

and then down the esophagus or trachea

I think I remember this one, Is the one where April goes to the hospital and gets her stomach pumped, or am I thinking of some other story?

So obvious the lesson coming.

Do not trust a toddler with small objects

Oh Elizabeth! Couldn’t you see this coming?

I bet every kid has swallowed something they shouldn’t.

At first, in panel one I thought she meant bubble gum. Buppum fresh off the floor even. yum, tasty.

David Letterman had “stupid pet jokes“. Lynn Johnston has “stupid toddler jokes”..

Kids are swallowing button batteries!!! If you have kids keep them locked up. Magnets are another nasty.

Oh no!!!

and a visit to the emergency department.

Yep normal toddler behavior, everything goes into the mouth, except vegetables which would be good for her.

Oh, no!

This family is horrible with kids. I have two-year-old granddaughter and I know way better than that.

Yep… kids swallow all kinds of things. Just ask any ER physician.

Here we go………

UH OH! Hopefully Elizabeth knows the Heimlich!

I suppose tomorrow we’ll see her swallow it…

Just what IS the procedure for pumping a stomach?

If she swallows it, she’ll put the “butt” in button! :-D

….see it reappear in @ 2 days…..

There are several ways this can end, none of them particularly good.

The first thing I thought of when seeing this strip was Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, in particular the final chapter.

Just don’t swallow it

This is the storyline where Farley arrives just as April swallows the button. He quickly performs the Heimlich maneuver on her, saving her life. Unfortunately, the effort is just too much for Ol’ Farl and he tragically passes away.

A good standing operating procedure when dealing with people of any age, but especially children, is THINK: What happens next?

Anything smaller than the kid’s entire head should not be in her possession.

I love April so much! ❤️

Buppum!