What Makes My Kids Cry Today

By Lizzie @ What Makes My Kid Cry Today

Real Life. Real Laughs. Real Jesus.

Let’s talk about that sacred hour between after-school snacks and complete emotional collapse.

You know the one.

Homework Hour.

Except it’s not an hour.

And it’s definitely not holy.

It’s chaos on a cracker. And it made me cry in my pantry.

📚 What Made My Kid Cry Today?

I told him to write his name.

Just his name.

You would’ve thought I asked him to translate the Dead Sea Scrolls into Spanish and then recite them backward.

There were sighs.

There were flops onto the floor.

There were loud declarations like:

“MY BRAIN CAN’T THINK RIGHT NOW.”

Same, buddy.

Same.

🤯 Cue the Meltdown (Mine, Not Theirs)

I tried to be patient.

I offered encouragement.

I gave a snack.

I gave a second snack.

I googled “how to make fractions fun” while whisper-praying for divine intervention.

But eventually, I snapped:

“JUST. WRITE. YOUR. NAME.”

And suddenly I became the villain in the after-school movie no one asked for.

💡 Real Talk

Why does this part of the day hit so hard?

Because everyone’s tired.

Because the quiet I longed for never came.

Because no one told me how many feelings would show up at the table with the math worksheet.

It’s not just the spelling list—it’s the emotional exhaustion of showing up again… and again… and again.

📖 But Here’s What I’m Learning

“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

— Galatians 6:9

Even if the harvest is just one sentence written without a breakdown.

Even if the only thing growing is my ability to pause and not yell (yet).

🙏 Prayer for the Homework Hour

Jesus,

Homework hour is hard.

Give me strength when I want to hide.

Give me grace when my tone gets sharp.

Remind me this is sacred work—even when it feels like survival.

Let my kids see love in my presence, not perfection in my response.

Amen.

💬 Final Thought

If you cried over second-grade math, you’re not alone.

If you whispered “Lord, take the wheel” in the middle of a reading log, I’m right there with you.

Homework hour may not feel holy—but with God?

Even this moment can be redeemed.

And if all else fails… there’s always snacks.