THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2017
FEATURES
Co-ed sleepovers revisited
Dear Readers: I recently room for a sleepover, and you
published a letter from “Not can check on them if you would
Comfortable,” who is helping to like. If you don’t trust your child
raise her three granddaughters. with coed sleepovers, you can
She stated that coed sleepovers put a monitor or another device
seem to be the norm for chil- in the room. — Sleepover
dren in her town, and she won- Connoisseur
dered what reader con-
Dear
Sleepover
DEAR
sensus is on that topic.
Connoisseur:
You
I was delighted to hear
seem like a thoughtful
ANNIE
from people of all ages
young man. The moni-
toring device is a novel
on all sides of the issue.
solution, though I’m
Here’s but a small
not sure it would suffice
sample.
Dear Annie: I am
for the following folks.
writing about “Not
Comfortable.” I am a
Dear Annie: I don’t
Lane
13-year-old boy in the Annie
think
parents should
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
eighth grade, and 90
put their kids in a situ-
ation where they might
percent of my friends
are girls. I have two particu- get themselves into trouble. We
lar female friends with whom can’t be everywhere as parents,
I am very close and have been but we can do our best to not
friends for four years. We have “provide” situations that might
sleepovers often. Sometimes we cause unwanted results, e.g.,
sleep at their house (they are sis- teen pregnancies. Keep up the
ters), and sometimes we sleep at dialogue! — Cheryl
mine. Their parents are fine with
Dear Cheryl: Thanks for
our sleepovers, and so are mine. writing. The dialogue continues.
Two of the girls “Not Com-
Dear Annie: When my
fortable” wrote to you about are daughter had her first serious
11, and I think that at that age, boyfriend, I started out worrying
they are still young enough that a lot about what they were doing
coed sleepovers are fine. I think together when they were alone.
boys and girls can be in the same When she asked whether she
5A
TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
could start birth control, I had
to admit to myself that she was
already sexually active. I was
really upset. But I supported her.
Since then, she has been
open about everything and
talked to me about things that I
would never dream of saying to
my mother (even now). Eventu-
ally, my daughter would sleep at
her boyfriend’s house, and then
he started staying at our house,
too. (They live 40 minutes of
dark, moose-filled, no-cell-ser-
vice driving apart.) Instead of
sneaking around, they would
hang out at home. I realized that
I felt really good knowing that
they were safe and not at some
party. My daughter appreci-
ated my listening to her and not
just sticking to outdated social
taboos. We are incredibly close,
and that is a bond built on open-
ness and trust. — No Regrets
Dear No Regrets: While
I’m not sure you’ll convince
many of my readers that coed
sleepovers are OK (I’m still not
sure I’m convinced myself), I
do agree that trust and openness,
rather than deceit and secrecy,
are key to a healthy relation-
ship with your teens. Thanks for
writing.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). In the cry of one
broken heart is the song of all the broken hearts
through history. It’s why you can’t listen without
echoing the mournful resonance inside you. At
least there’s a comfort and healing in this.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). If you don’t easily
fall asleep, there are good reasons; perhaps too
much is on your mind, or an exciting possibil-
ity has you reeling. Or could you be awake in
someone else’s dream? Embrace the mystical:
It’s good for imagination.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). While Frank Sinatra
may have had a hit doing it “My Way,” for most
people the real adventure begins when “My Way”
doesn’t pan out and we must learn to do it “A
Way” (or in today’s case, any possible way that
will work, really).
CANCER (June 22-July 22). There’s something
coming your way — an important sale or a
bonus. The rewards will have a direct correlation
to the work you put in and the stellar attitude in
your approach. It’s nice when things happen this
cleanly.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’re usually pretty
intuitive about what others might need, but what
this intuition is probably telling you now is to just
ask. You’ll be quite surprised by what you hear.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Dreams are good;
plans are better. A little of both will serve you
best. Because if you only plan, it won’t be inter-
esting enough, and if you only dream, it won’t be
practical enough.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ll be on the hunt
for a new experience. So while the cost matters,
and the risk is a factor to consider as well, the
enticement of the unfamiliar teamed with your
curiosity will trump your trepidation.
FRANK AND ERNEST
BLONDIE
THATABABY
SALLY FORTH
PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN
B.C.
LOLA
DILBERT
SIX CHIX
BIZARRO
MUTTS
NON SEQUITUR
BABY BLUES
WIZARD OF ID
ZITS
ROSE IS ROSE
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You care about
something that isn’t conventional. Getting into
it more might lead you slightly and temporarily
away from certain people who will never really
get it, but it will bond you with people who share
your interest.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The moment
when it happens is not the next one; it’s always
this one... if for no other reason than the fact
that you can’t live or do anything in the next one.
Keep reminding yourself to stay alert to what’s
happening now.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Since you are
the beholder, you get to say what’s beautiful. Try
to do this away from the influence of others to get
a true read. Otherwise you’ll be unduly swayed.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It’s easy to say
no when you have already said yes to something
else. Since your schedule fills up on a first-come,
first-served basis, you’ll do well to be the first one
to fill it up with what you really want your life to
be about.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). According to
Grabel’s Law, two is not equal to three, not even
for large values of two. In a related story, getting
something different from what you want (even
if you get a lot of it) is still not getting what you
want.
TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (Dec. 27). An
investment made years ago will finally pay
off in 2018. Among the stellar decisions you’ll
make this year will be your choice to rely on
the reliable. Loved ones will give you the lift you
need to stretch into new roles and challenges. A
friendship gets sweeter with a shared adventure.
Speak your heart in June. Gemini and Libra
adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 30, 45, 22,
19 and 31.