Two parents from Tennessee couldn’t cope with the reason why their son’s homework was marked with a smiley face.
In a post shared to Reddit’s r/funny channel, Evan, who goes by u/menotsorrythrowaway wrote: “Found this gem in my son’s backpack,” alongside a photo of the assignment.
The worksheet instructed kindergarteners to “draw and label something that ends with the same sound.”
On the left side was a neatly drawn scarf and on the right, 6-year-old Archie had drawn a stick figure who appeared to be barfing in the toilet. At the top of the page, circled in red pen, was a cheerful smiley face.
Evan and Archie’s mom, Misty, told Newsweek that the discovery came at exactly the right moment.
During what had been an emotionally heavy week for the family of four following a recent loss, the worksheet cut through that weight.
“It was hilariously simple and perfect,” Evan said. “In such a small stick drawing, it somehow provided some relief right when it was needed most.”
Naturally, Evan and Misty spoke to Archie about the drawing afterward. Asked what he was thinking, Archie responded with a sly smile, a laugh and then walked away quietly.
“He didn’t really elaborate or explain his thinking, just that cheeky expression that said everything,” Evan said. “Honestly, it felt very fitting for his personality.”
According to his parents, Archie is known in his household for his creativity and quick wit. Evan described him as big-hearted and endlessly imaginative, often drawing, building or plotting small pranks.
“We’re often sitting on whoopee cushions or walking into childlike booby traps, with a mischievous snicker heard not far away,” he added.
At the time of writing, Evan’s post has received over 48,000 upvotes and comments. Many users delighted in the teacher’s feedback.
“100 percent teacher energy with that smiley,” one user wrote.
“Someone reach out to Eminem,” another quipped.
Evan described the online reaction as “completely overwhelming in the best way” and shared that he didn’t mean for the post to go viral.
“Many people shared that it gave them a much-needed smile that day,” Evan said. “Others joked about what might rhyme with ‘scarf,’ debated the assignment itself or just enjoyed some lighthearted banter.”
The reaction was even bigger for Archie. When his parents told him, he said, “The whole wide world saw my drawing?!”
The moment has since become something of an inside joke for the family. Just this past weekend, while comforting Archie through a late-night stomach bug, one parent quietly asked, “Hey buddy, what rhymes with scarf?”
“He laughed and snuggled in a little closer,” Evan added.