American mother inspires with letter to five-year-old daughter

Listing things children should not do but in fact American mothers are empowering their children.

Toni Hammer, a mother in Portland, Oregon, is inspiring parents online with a letter to her five-year-old daughter. After posting it on Facebook on September 23, the letter received more than 7,000 likes and nearly 5,500 shares.

Toni lists a lot of things girls shouldn't do, but rather than being restrictive, the purpose of the letter is to empower her to make many decisions. "I want to raise a daughter who is confident in herself for being kind, who fights for the underdog, who is not afraid to speak her mind to make the world a better place. Someone who loves justice and believes that change is possible," Toni said.

Toni Hammer's daughter is taught many meaningful things as she prepares to enter kindergarten. Photo: Facebook

She decided to write the letter when her daughter entered kindergarten because she didn't want her to go through what she had endured in school. "When I was a kid, I was bullied a lot. I knew it wouldn't be long before someone started criticizing her. I wanted her to be more confident than I was," the mother shared on Bored Panda on September 28.

The original letter is as follows:

Dear daughter,

Don't apologize when someone bumps into you.

Don't say "sorry to bother you." You are not a bother. You are a person with thoughts and feelings that deserve respect.

Don't make excuses for why you can't hang out with someone you don't like. You don't owe anyone an explanation. Simply saying "no, thank you" should be acceptable.

Don't think too much about what you eat in front of other people. If you're hungry, eat what you want. If you like pizza, don't just eat a salad because you're afraid of other people. Order the pizza and eat it.

Don't grow your hair long just to make someone happy.

Don't wear a dress if you don't want to.

Don't stay home just because you don't have anyone to hang out with. Get out and experience things for yourself.

Don't hold back your tears. Crying means you feel like something needs to be let out. It's not weakness. It's just being human.

Don't laugh because someone else told you to.

Don't say "yes" just to be polite. Say "no" because it's your life.

Don't hide your opinions. Speak up and let everyone know. You deserve to be heard. Don't be the one who always acts like apologetic."

Many people agree with this point of view and think that girlsToni Hammer was fortunate to be raised by a progressive-thinking mother.

According to VNE