School was over for the day. On the kitchen table, I had a plate of apple slices and peanut butter—my favorite after-school snack. I also had a pile of homework. The pile was a big one. And I was dreading it.

Usually, I liked school. Usually, I didn’t like homework. In the afternoon, I’d rather be riding bikes with my sister or jumping on my neighbor’s trampoline. But there was no time for fun until my homework was done, and the more I thought about that, the grumpier I felt.

The grumps rolled in like storm clouds—just a few at first, but my thoughts pretty quickly felt clouded over and heavy. Now I wanted to do my homework even less!