I have experimented with using children to convey things, but mostly it’s been showing the childish side of the main characters. I didn’t like the way it worked out, so I haven’t done it in a while. By introducing the main character’s potential daughter, I get to have the variety of perspective without committing to a new character. If it doesn’t work out, she doesn’t have to come back. If it does, maybe it’ll be a recurring theme. That would be nice, because it’s something I’ve missed but haven’t yet found a way to execute well.
If it’s not clear in this strip, the main character is falling asleep. Yes, this is a dream. I’m not really giving away any spoilers, because the setup for the joke in the next strip makes it painfully clear.