The Baby is coming! Remember those days when we couldn’t wait for the mailman to pay us a visit? That’s how we got most of our information about family and friends – in real bona fide, handwritten notes. Now no one writes notes or letters. Everything is electronic. We send emails and tweets or tag our friends on Facebook or Instagram. We instant message or text message everyone. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s good for the environment, right? It saves our trees, cuts down on pollution, yadda, yadda, yadda, but what do you do when you want to personalize what could be the most important message you’ll ever send out?
For maximum effect, you go old school.
We kid (no pun intended) you not. Instead of sending a boring email filled with emojis and OMGs, why not send something the old-fashioned way. Pretty paper, card stock, and stickers are in. All you have to do is head down to your local scrapbook store, big box store, stationery store and fill your cart with all sorts of goodies. Go to town with the announcements!
You might think you need to have professional photos taken. Well, you don’t! If you’re apprehensive about using physical paper and sending things in the mail because it’s not millennial enough for you, no worries, you don’t have to do away with the idea of modern digital means. You can still use your digital camera or smartphone to take photos and use any photo editing software you’d like to enhance the photo, delete the red-eye effect, and/or add text to your image/s. They’re easy enough to print and glue to cardstock. Your friends and family will love getting a peek at your new bundle of joy or a picture of big sister or brother with the baby.
How soon should you send out a birth announcement?
Well, that’s up to you. Some parents like to let people know right away. Others like to wait until the baby hits a certain milestone. The sky is the limit. Your baby, your decision.
How much information do you share? That depends on your comfort level. You don’t have to detail the whole birth, pregnancy, or adoption journey. Depending on who you’re sending the announcement to, you might not want to give any specifics at all, but keep in mind, family and close friends will want details. Personalize each announcement to meet the criteria for them. If you’re close, give them as many details as you’d like. If not, perhaps nothing more than a name and date is all you need. It’s all up to you.
Consider the kind of information you’d like to receive from someone you care about. Would you like to know the baby’s height and weight? Will you hang the photo on your wall or refrigerator door? How would you respond if someone detailed every agonizing hour of the delivery process? Would an announcement with a humorous story attached make you giggle? Whatever works for you, shows your unique personality, or introduces your family and friends to the baby’s personality would be perfect.
By Alan Freeman
HEALTHY MAGAZINE
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