Despite all the books, articles and friendly advice (solicited or not) we get on raising kids, there are a few things that only a person who is currently navigating parenting can truly understand.
Like how baby reference books will make you feel as though your child is teetering on the edge of death every time they cough or get a rash. Or how delightful it is to watch your baby fill out from a wrinkled newborn gremlin to a bouncing, chubby-cheeked cherub.
Sometimes, mums and dads need a little reminder that parenting isn't always all it's cracked up to be, and that's where these gorgeous and hilarious cards come in.
These exceptionably honest greeting cards have some wise words of wisdom we could all do with hearing during those first few months.
From sleep deprivation to breast pumping, these relatable cards touch on a litany of parental woes.
"Parenting is really hard, and yet it’s frowned upon to publicly admit anything about it that could be perceived as negative, because of the fear that we’ll be judged as not loving our children enough, or pegged as a ‘bad mom'," Emily McDowell, the creator of the cards, told The Huffington Post.
"There’s a well-worn set of cultural expectations about how parents are supposed to feel about the experience of parenting, and women in particular get hammered with it, both from other people and within ourselves.”
The cards have received major support on the illustrator's Instagram, and she is currently in the process of designing more.
"I hope parents who receive these cards (or even see them!) can feel a sense of relief and reassurance that they’re not failing, they’re not alone, and it’s totally normal and OK to both love your kid and have complicated feelings about being a mum or dad," she said.
We'll take one of each, Emily.
