Robbie, with his impossibly thin neck (panel 4), has a point. Parents forget how easily kids insult each other and how easily the one insulted sometimes take the insults seriously. Part of growing up, as we know. It’s no surprise that Cherry’s advice is rejected out of hand by Rusty, because when boys express ill feelings toward one another, they sometimes work it out when one or both of them winds up with a black eye.

Meanwhile, Rusty’s dinner gets cold, as I predicted. Dinner is not the time for this kind of talk. If parents really want to have a maximum impact on their child, hold that talk during the dessert.

Art Dept. Notice the muted background colors? Subtle reflections, I think, of Rusty’s dour mood.