One mom is inspiring parents across the internet with this powerful letter that she wrote to her five-year-old daughter.
"Don't apologize when someone else bumps into you," reads the letter, written by Portland-based blogger Toni Hammer who recently posted it on Facebook. "Don’t say ‘sorry to be such a pain.’ You’re not a pain. You’re a person with thoughts and feelings who deserves respect. Don’t make up reasons as to why you can’t go out with a guy you don’t wanna go out with. You don’t owe anyone an explanation."
The letter goes on to list various things that her daughter shouldn't do, but instead of being restrictive, the purpose of the letter is to empower her daughter. “I want to raise a daughter who is as confident as she is kind, who fights for those who can’t fight for themselves, who isn’t afraid to speak her mind and work hard to make the world a better place,” said Toni. “Someone who is a lover of justice and believes change can happen."
Toni decided to write the letter because her daughter was starting kindergarten this year and she didn't want her to have the same experience that she did when she was at school. “I was picked on a lot as a kid and I hate the idea of her going through what I did. I know it won’t be long before someone tries to make her feel ‘less than’ and I want her to face it with more confidence then I had at that age,” she said.
Scroll down for the full letter. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
One mom is inspiring parents across the internet with this powerful letter that she wrote to her daughter
"Don't apologize for being who you are. Be brave and bold and beautiful. Be unapologetically you"
Some people were quick to agree with her letter
Other people had slightly different opinions
