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"Mod Baby" baby shower invitation
A new baby is a joyous occasion, not just for the new parents but also for their extended family and friends. If you’ve just gotten the good news, make sure to send off a handwritten note of congratulation at the earliest opportunity. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to write, so we’ve included a few general guidelines here.
First of all, consider your relationship to the parents to be. Are you close? More of an acquaintance? Chances are good that if you’ve received an actual birth announcement via snail mail, you know the parents to be fairly well. Social media has made birth announcements fairly public in recent years - we’ve all seen that first pic from the hospital, clicked the “Like” or “Love” button, and kept on scrolling. But a traditional paper birth announcement is a special thing, more like a wedding invitation than a piece of news. It’s a beautiful object that’s meant to be cherished, at least for a moment - and if the baby belongs to a BFF, maybe it even gets to live on the refrigerator for a while.
There are a wide variety of beautiful custom-designed birth announcements out there for expecting parents to choose from. From simple, sleek designs composed of mostly text to bright and dynamic pieces full of custom artwork by local designers, selecting a birth announcement is a pretty big deal.
So you know that by the time it arrives in your mailbox, it’s already the product of lots of time and care. Which makes it all the more important to send back your congratulations speedily - and to strike just the right note.
It’s a classic for a reason. There’s nothing like a hearty “congrats” to start off a note commemorating a new arrival. After all, birth is hard work and the whole ordeal can be a lot - for everybody. And if that’s what you’d say in person, it’s the right thing to say in a handwritten note. Don’t worry that everybody else will say it too - this is one of those things most people can’t hear enough of.
Think about how you know the parents to be. How did you meet? Have you traveled together? Did you ever talk about what it might be like to have a kid, years and years ago - and suddenly that kid is actually here? What makes a good letter between friends is always unique, and only you can really know what’s best. Just show that you care, and that you’re thinking of them. New parenthood can be a really confusing time, and a time in which a lot of people feel like they’ve lost touch with their former selves, or their own unique stories. After all, parenthood is a universal experience, and an overwhelming one. There’s so much anxiety about the future that the past can get a little lost, yet it’s our past that helps anchor us as we move forward. So sometimes we need a little encouragement from those who knew us way back when. And that’s what friends are for - to remind each other of who they were, who they are, and who they can be.
A long personal letter is a wonderful gift, if that’s your style. But if it’s not, don’t sweat it. New parents will be fielding notes of congratulations from all directions. And whether it’s their first baby or their fourth, they’re pretty much guaranteed to busier than they’ve ever been in their lives.
If you’re a parent, you certainly have some words of wisdom to impart. And that’s great! You never know what will stick in someone’s mind, or how much it may mean to them in years to come. It doesn’t have to be about babies, necessarily. Any guidance you can provide about parenting in general, or weathering big changes, may be very welcome and may come in handy. It almost doesn’t matter if you’re a close relation or a faraway friend - we’ve all had that moment when we remember some piece of wisdom that stuck with us and carries us through, and in fact sometimes what we hear from those outside our usual circle that really resonates the most.
And of course it goes without saying that you shouldn’t overwhelm the new parents with too much good advice. There’s plenty of time in the days ahead.
This is really the only thing that matters. Whatever you say, say it with love!
Still need some ideas? Here are some general good wishes that will work for any baby congratulations card.
Sending you and yours happy thoughts on your new arrival.
I’m so happy to hear about your new baby - congrats!
Thinking of you as your family prepares to receive the gift of a new baby.
May your new arrival give you joy & happiness.
A new baby is a blessing. So happy for you and yours!
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