Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/261964
3B Tuesday, February 18, 2014 – Daily News DILBERT Scott Adams PEARLS BEFORE SWINE Stephan Pastis PICKLES Brian Crane BABY BLUES Jerry Scott & Rick Kirkman GET FUZZY Darby Conley ZITS Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman SHERMAN'S LAGOON Jim Toomey ARGYLE SWEATER Scott Hilburn BIZARRO Dan Piraro DEAR CAROLYN » We will soon inherit some money and want to help our adult children. We want them to use the money toward newer cars (or paying down student debt). We can't give enough to buy a new car, but hope to give between $10,000 and $15,000. We are afraid one of them might use the money for some- thing we consider an unnecessary (and danger- ous) luxury. Yet we feel she will be insulted if we give conditionally. What do you suggest we do? Give it and say we hope she will use it for a car or loans? (She is married. They are smart young adults, but I think sometimes they spend more than they should on vacations and extras.) Or should we hold it back and say, "When you are ready to buy a car, we want to help with this much money"? — Mom and Dad DEAR MOM AND DAD » I suggest you go all in or all out. Either give them the money with no strings, or keep it and say, "When you're ready to buy a car, let us know and we'll kick in X dollars toward it." You parenthetically refer to Option 3, making a big payment on their education debt — which sounds pretty good, too, and would avoid the pre- sumption that taints the car idea. Option 4, which might ultimately be the most helpful to a free-spending child, is not to give the money at all, but instead set it aside for emergen- cies — job loss, serious illness, divorce, car ac- cident, tree through the roof, lawsuit, whatever. Wouldn't it be something if you had thousands parked and ready to go? You can also give one portion freely and set another aside. Short answer: Know your kids, but don't try to control them. DEAR CAROLYN » Re: Help- ing: I say give the money, no strings attached, and accept that they will live their lives as they see fit. It's not really your place to judge how your kids spend their money, or whether they really need new cars. The kids may like their beater cars, or may be try- ing to get away from own- ing a car (a popular city option). Maybe they could use the money for a down payment for a house, or pay down credit card debt, or save for a rainy day, or take the round-the-world trip they've hoped for all of their lives. And, it's their money once you give it to them. You may think they're too extravagant, but you don't (I hope) know how much they and their spouses make. It's nice to give them a financial boost, but it would also be nice to re- spect them as grown-ups. By the way, I'd like to know what the "unneces- sary (and dangerous) luxury" is. — Anonymous DEAR ANONYMOUS » Me too — but imagination probably beats reality. Share inheritance with your kids, but no strings attached Carolyn Hax Ask Carolyn Email Carolyn Hax at tellme@washpost.com, follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ carolyn.hax or chat with her online at noon Eastern time each Friday at www.washingtonpost.com. Sudoku Instructions: The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the number only once. Answer to Previous Puzzle Celebrity Cipher By Luis Campos Instructions: Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another. NEA Crossword Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Demanding people are likely to get you down. Don't feel that you have to be everything to everyone. Make a point of keep- ing some time for yourself to prevent enervation. Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20) — Disagreements and confron- tations will not resolve pending issues. Your reputation will be at risk if you argue about unim- portant matters. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Avoid uncomfortable situations by using discretion. Although you may favor one person over another, giving too much atten- tion to someone will not help you gain overall support. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Others will be impressed by your achievements if you stop procrastinating and start acting. With persistence and planning, you can clear your agenda for more pleasurable activities. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Get rid of tension by taking care of household chores or doing something physical. You will be surprised how much more relieved and relaxed you feel in a clean environment. Cancer (June 21-July 22) Your social life may need a pick-me-up. Join a service, club or organization and meet new people. Sharing common inter- ests will stimulate your senses and improve your outlook. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — It is never a good idea to flaunt your wealth around strangers. Be especially careful with your valuable possessions. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Disagreements may occur if you become stressed or unhappy. Commit to staying active in order to avoid conflicts. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Concentrate your attentions on your family and loved ones. Satisfying relationships require nurturing and effort. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future to deal with career concerns. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — You will need to be more assertive in your efforts to move ahead in the workplace. Empha- size your special skills, qualities and versatility. Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Be sensitive to the feel- ings of those you care about. Convey your thoughts with clar- ity and concern. A casual remark may be misinterpreted, causing a rift in your relationship. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Don't feel lethargic and dispirited. Broaden your inter- ests by learning something new. Your local library contains infor- mation on hundreds of topics to inform and inspire you. Horoscope By Bernice Bede Osol TUESDAY, FEB. 18