Before the internet replaced most physical newspapers in homes, kids (and many adults) would eagerly look forward to each day's page of comic strips for some light entertainment. From 1985 to 1995, one of the most popular comic strips in print was Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson. This strip followed the adventures of 6-year-old Calvin, his toy/pet tiger Hobbes, and his family and friends.

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Calvin & Hobbes provided readers with plenty of laughs over the years. What really set it apart though, was its ability to include actual life lessons and touching moments in between the laughs. Many of the most important lessons readers learned from the comic were about love, whether it was the reluctant childhood crush between Calvin and Susie, the friendship between Calvin and his best friend Hobbes, or the love between Calvin and his parents.

10 Calvin Learns TV Is Not A Good Source Of Romantic Advice

Calvin watching daytime tv

Calvin is at an age where he is curious about the world and particularly about things that seem salacious or forbidden by his parents. He's also not shy about his love for television. He often asks his parents to rent a VCR and age-inappropriate videos, though he doesn't appear to actually understand what they contain.

In a number of strips over the years, Calvin ends up getting romantic advice from television shows. In one, Calvin was sick in bed and watching daytime soap operas. He learned about skimpy négligées, extra-marital affairs, and murder plots. In another, Calvin was watching TV with his mom and complained at length about all the kissing. These strips certainly encouraged parents to think twice about what their kids see on TV.

9 Hobbes Teaches That Nature Is Beautiful And Precious

Calvin and Hobbes react to finding litter in the woods

Throughout the entire Calvin & Hobbes series, one of Calvin's most common activities is running (or sledding, or taking a wagon) through the woods near his house. These jaunts through nature are often a backdrop for his philosophical discussions with Hobbes, as he works through the types of questions about the world around him that puzzle a young child.

Despite his youth, Calvin obviously has a deep appreciation for the magic and beauty of nature. In one strip, Calvin lamented that people were cutting down the woods to build condominiums. In another, he found trash in the woods, and decided that maybe being a tiger is better than being a human. Hopefully, readers took these lessons to heart and were encouraged to respect and appreciate nature themselves.

8 Susie Deserves To Be Treated Better

Susie is sad and angry at Calvin

Susie is one of Calvin's classmates, and his first tentative romantic crush. As a six-year-old, Calvin doesn't really understand relationships and his treatment of Susie is often pretty terrible. One minute Calvin will be playing nicely with Susie, and the next he'll start misbehaving and calling her names.

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Calvin's outward repulsion at the thought of spending time with, let alone kissing a girl is a fairly normal for someone his age, particularly in the era in which this comic was published. Watterson, however, also focuses on how these interactions make Susie feel, with multiple strips showing her feeling upset and lonely after Calvin lashed out and ran away. These strips helped kids to learn empathy and the effect that their mean words may have on others.

7 Not All Romantic Advice Is Equal

Calvin and Hobbes play in their tree fort

On many occasions over the years, Calvin mused about girls and relationships, and Hobbes chimed in with advice. Unlike Calvin's outward revulsion, Hobbes often acted excited about girls, expressing a desire to attract "babes" and get "smooches."

Hobbes is, of course, a stuffed toy who only appears as a real, interactive creature to Calvin himself. Presumably, Hobbes's voice is supplied by Calvin's own mind, and he expresses thoughts that Calvin might be struggling with. In these situations, Hobbes gave voice to Calvin's romantic feelings, which he wasn't mature enough to acknowledge yet. Hobbes's open-mindedness is good, but he was still voicing the thoughts of a six-year-old, and therefore his advice, while often more compassionate than Calvin's, was rarely completely sound.

6 Calvin Learns Nobody Knows How To Pamper Like A Mom

Calvin's mom pampers him in Calvin & Hobbes

Like many mischievous children, Calvin sometimes has an adversarial relationship with his mother. He complains about what she makes for dinner, looks for loopholes in her rules, and sometimes yells that she's being mean. Despite these conflicts, however, it's very clear that both Calvin and is mom love each other very much.

Once, while arguing with his babysitter, Calvin yelled about how much his mom loves him. When his mom was sick, Calvin tried to help her, and lamented how difficult it is to be a mom. After Calvin had been playing outside in the snow, his mom brought him cocoa and snacks, and he sat and appreciated how she was pampering him. Despite any superficial arguments, the two obviously love and appreciate each other.

5 Calvin Learns That Wild Animals Deserve Admiration And Respect

Calvin wants grilled cheese after learning how to clean fish

Calvin loves wild animals. He thinks of Hobbes as a wild tiger. When he found a sick raccoon, he rushed to get help and tried to revive it. After his dad caught fish while camping, Calvin was shocked to learn about "cleaning" fish, and asked for grilled cheese instead. After he caught a butterfly, he decided to release it rather than keep it captive.

Calvin often struggles in his relationships with people, thanks to his lack of maturity and active imagination. With animals, however, it's easier for him to show his inherent kindness and compassion without worrying about looking silly. His love of animals shows he has a big heart, and once he matures a bit, he'll hopefully be able to work that into his human relationships as well.

4 Calvin Realizes That Time With Loved Ones Is Important

Dad plays with Calvin in the snow

Calvin is rebellious by nature, and struggles with his parents' rules. It's no wonder then that he often butts heads with his father. He interrupts his dad's work, gives him unflattering "polling" updates on his performance, and blocks his dad's car with snowmen and forts. The two are constantly clashing with each other.

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Despite these clashes, it's still obvious that the two love and respect each other. Calvin's love of nature comes from his dad, who loves taking the family camping and fishing. His dad adapts bedtime stories to try and fulfill Calvin's wishes. Perhaps most importantly, Calvin's dad took time off from work on multiple occasions just so he could spend more time playing with his kid, setting a great example for readers about priorities.

3 Calvin & Hobbes Have Good Role Models

Calvins parents in bed

Although Calvin clearly isn't ready for mature romantic relationships at age 6, he has a great example to follow once he is older. Calvin's parents have a strong and respectful marriage, and often show their love both for each other and their child.

Calvin's parents are often shown arguing or making sarcastic comments, usually as a result of something Calvin has done. When things get serious, the two are there for each other. After their house was burgled, the two comforted each other in bed. They made time to go on dates together, even though finding a sitter for Calvin was hard. They may make jokes about whether they should have had kids, but when one needs the other, they can always rely on their partner.

2 Good Friends Love And Support Each Other

Calvin looking for Hobbes and thanking Susie in Calvin & Hobbes

Calvin's favorite person in the world is his best friend Hobbes. Although everyone else sees Hobbes as a toy, to Calvin, Hobbes is a living creature who is always ready for adventures. Hobbes also provides Calvin with advice, which is usually more mature than Calvin's natural tendencies.

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Because Hobbes is Calvin's stuffed tiger, in reality his personality is part of Calvin's. His voice comes from Calvin's subconscious, providing a kinder, more mature view that Calvin may be struggling to articulate on his own. While Hobbes may not be real, Calvin's love for him certainly is. When anything bad happens to Hobbes, Calvin can't relax until he knows Hobbes is ok. As he grows up, hopefully Calvin will be able to show the same care for the humans around him.

1 Calvin's Family Surrounds Him With Love

Calvin and family

Calvin may misbehave a lot, but he has a good heart. Likewise, his parents complain about his behavior, but they love him deeply. His parents also extend their love of Calvin to the things he loves, most importantly Hobbes, even though Hobbes is just a toy to them.

Superficial bickering aside, Calvin's family is always modeling love for their readers. The group go on family vacations together every year, and spend their time doing things together. When the family is facing hardships like a burglary, they find strength and comfort in each other. And whenever one family member needs something, even Hobbes, the others step up with help and support. Anyone would be lucky to feel the love that Calvin's family obviously feels for each other.

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