How Do You Explain War to a Five-Year-Old Who Just Wants to Watch Cartoons?
It’s a question that haunts so many mothers across the Middle East right now—mothers who never asked to be brave, but have no choice.
They live in cities where the walls tremble with every explosion. Their phones constantly buzz with alerts. Their days are a mix of cooking, calming, hiding, and hoping.
This is a glimpse into that life.
This is a mother’s diary from a region that’s always one spark away from a full fire.
Day 1: The Sky Was Too Quiet Today
You’d think silence would be a relief. But when you’ve lived under airstrikes, silence feels… suspicious.
Layla, a mother of three living in southern Lebanon, writes:
“I didn’t send the kids to school today. Not because there was a strike—but because there wasn’t. When it’s too quiet, something’s coming.”
Her youngest, Amal, is four and thinks the sirens are part of a game. Her oldest, Kareem, is twelve and knows too much.
“He watches the news when I’m not looking,” Layla writes. “He keeps track of which countries are threatening who. I used to take away his tablet for screen time—now I hide it so he doesn’t have more anxiety than I already do.”
Day 4: Birthday Cake in a Bomb Shelter
In Haifa, Israel, Miriam tried to keep things normal. Her daughter turned eight. There were balloons, candles, a small cake.
But halfway through the celebration, the sirens blared. They grabbed the cake and ran.
“I tried to make her laugh in the shelter,” Miriam says. “I sang the birthday song again, just to make her forget. But later, she asked me if she should stop having birthdays until the war is over.”
Imagine that.
A child wondering if growing up is even allowed during war.
Day 8: Diapers and Drones
Back in Tehran, another mom, Nahid, shares her daily routine in a voice note:
“Wake up. Feed baby. Change diaper. Dodge rumors. Check Telegram groups for bomb alerts. Cook rice. Pray.”
She describes watching a drone fly past her window while trying to breastfeed her newborn.
“I covered the baby’s ears. Not because of noise, but because of fear. I didn’t want him to hear how my heart was beating out of my chest.”
These aren’t scenes from a movie.
They’re the daily grind of motherhood—in a place where war is always one wrong move away.
More Than Survival—It’s Motherhood with Muscle
What’s amazing is not just how these mothers survive—but how they keep living.
They still comb hair. Make jokes. Tell stories. They hug a little longer. Cry a little quieter. They carry the entire emotional load of the home—fear, love, protection, stability—and never let it crack in front of their kids.
It’s like walking on a tightrope… while carrying groceries… in a storm… blindfolded. And somehow, they do it with grace.
Because mothers don’t stop being mothers just because the world is falling apart.
Why These Stories Matter
It’s easy to turn away from war.
To say, “That’s far away,” or “It’s too complicated.”
But when we do that, we miss the heart of the story. And the heart is not the politics—it’s the people. It’s the mothers who whisper lullabies louder than airstrikes. Who hold onto bedtime routines like lifelines. Who find small joys—like warm soup or a child’s giggle—in the middle of fear.
They are the glue holding families together in places trying to tear everything apart.
What You Can Do
Even if you’re far from the chaos, your awareness matters.
Here’s how you can make a difference:
- Listen to these stories. Share them. Talk about them. Don’t let these voices go unheard.
- Support organizations that provide aid to displaced families, mental health care for children, and safe spaces for women and kids.
- Push for peace. Vote, speak up, and challenge narratives that dehumanize the people stuck in the middle.
Because in every war zone, there are mothers just trying to keep the world soft for their children—even when it’s crumbling outside.
Final Words
A mother’s diary in wartime isn’t filled with big political ideas. It’s filled with whispered prayers. Grocery lists. A note that says “hide-and-seek makes them forget for a minute.”
It’s filled with love, wrapped in fear.
And those are the stories we should all be paying attention to.
