A Back-to-School Meltdown Monday Special
By Lizzie @ What Makes My Kid Cry Today
Real Life. Real Laughs. Real Jesus.
😭 What made my kid cry today?
I zipped his backpack.
Yes, I zipped it.
He wanted to zip it.
Even though he was running late.
Even though he was holding a Pop-Tart in one hand and a grudge in the other.
Even though, just two seconds earlier, he had asked for help.
But the moment I zipped it?
RUINED.
His day. His soul. Possibly his entire academic career.
🫠 Back-to-School Mornings: Not for the Weak
Let’s be real.
School mornings feel like training for some kind of high-stakes survival game:
The socks are never where they’re supposed to be. The cereal is always “weird today.” And one kid suddenly has opinions about the color of gravity.
I pack lunches while refereeing shoe wars and whisper-praying I don’t completely lose my mind before 8:00 a.m.
💥 The Backpack Breakdown Was Just the Tipping Point
But that’s how it goes, right?
The meltdown isn’t about the backpack.
It’s about big feelings in little bodies.
It’s about transitions and tiredness and who touched who in the hallway.
It’s about growing up being both exciting… and a little bit terrifying.
And let’s be honest—I’ve had my own grown-up version of a backpack meltdown more than once.
💡 The Reminder I Needed (Besides Coffee)
In the chaos, I wanted to yell:
“WHY are we crying about a ZIPPER?!”
But instead, I took a breath (and a bite of the uneaten Pop-Tart) and reminded myself:
This is holy work.
Messy, meltdown-y, miracle-saturated holy work.
📖 God Isn’t Surprised by the Tears
“He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms and carry them close to His heart.”
— Isaiah 40:11
Yes, even the ones sobbing over zippers.
Yes, even the ones raising their voice in the minivan.
Yes, even the mom who’s barely hanging on by the thread of her Target leggings.
🙏 A Prayer for the Back-to-School Chaos
Jesus,
Mornings are loud.
Our hearts are fragile.
Remind me that You are with us in the mess—
In the forgotten homework and the zipped-too-fast backpack.
Help me respond with grace instead of frustration.
And remind my child (and me) that we are fully loved—even when we’re falling apart.
Amen.
💬 Final Thought
If your morning was more meltdown than memory-making, you’re not alone.
We’ll try again tomorrow—with maybe one less Pop-Tart and one more deep breath.
Until then, hang in there, Mama.
Even if your biggest win today was surviving the zipper incident without crying yourself.
(But if you did cry? Same. Me too.)
📬 Got your own back-to-school meltdown to share?
Send it to whatmakesmykidcrytoday@gmail.com, and you might be featured in the next Meltdown Monday post! Bonus points if it involves backpacks, breakfast, or biblical levels of drama.
What Makes My Kids Cry Today 