Parents love this open letter written from a newborn's perspective
An open letter written from the perspective of a newborn baby has gone viral after a maternity unit in Scotland shared the words to its Facebook page on Monday.
The heartwarming text, which has circulated the internet for the better part of a decade, gently reminds parents to be patient with their babies — as well as themselves — during the early stages of the child’s life.
“Dear mummy and daddy,” it begins. “Please keep this letter from me in a place where you can read it and re-read it when things are rough and you are feeling down.”
“Please don’t expect too much from me as a newborn baby, or too much from yourselves as parents,” the letter reads. “Give us both six weeks as a birthday present, six weeks for me to grow, develop, mature, and become more stable and predictable ― six weeks for you to rest and relax and allow your body to get back to normal.”
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The letter asks parents to go easy on their newborns, assuring them that things will get easier with time.”Please forgive me if I cry a lot,” it notes. “I am not a tyrant who was sent to make your life miserable, the only way I can tell you I am not happy is with my cry, bear with me and in a short time, as I mature, I will spend less time crying and more time socializing.”
Finally, it asks parents to be careful not to project any fanciful expectations onto their newborn child.
“Please don’t be disappointed when I am not the perfect baby you expected nor be disappointed with yourselves when you are not the perfect parents,” it says, adding that it’s important to keep”the big picture” in mind.
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“Enjoy me ― I’ll never be this little again!” the letter concludes.
The NHS Ayrshire Maternity Unit’s Facebook post received more than 17,000 likes and 5,000 comments so far, resonating with parents and parents-to-be across the globe.
“It’s so true. I try to cherish every day and let my son be who is,” wrote one commenter. “I don’t need him to sleep ‘perfect’, eat ‘perfect’, behave ‘perfect.’ He is a baby and he will grow into his own. Enjoy every phase!”
“Please don’t feel ashamed if you feel depressed or overwhelmed, many mothers suffer from post natal depression. See your doctor early, accept help, and eventually, things will be ok.”
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