I didn’t know they taught such self-awareness in first grade.

Sometimes it’s hard being a dad in Japan. Long working hours often means less time to spend with the family, children included, which can eventually lead to familial divides and resentment.

But the opposite is just as true: when children show appreciation for the sacrifices their parents make, it can lead to closer bonding and melted hearts. Which is exactly what happened when Japanese Twitter user @tsumugi2012 posted a photo of this handwritten letter from his daughter:

▼ “This letter from my first-grade daughter
feels like it came from above, haha.” (Translation below)

https://twitter.com/tsumugi2012/status/921454706555101185

“Dear daddy you always work real hard and give me a bath and sometimes you make okonomiyaki and it all must be really hard. I understand how you feel.”

That is one thoughtful letter! …not necessarily thoughtful in the “thankful” kind of way, but “thoughtful” in the “a lot of thought went into that” kind of way.

It starts off as a pretty typical thank you letter, but instead of just ending it with a “thank you” as expected, instead we get a slightly confusing “I understand how you feel.” Is that meant to imply she also knows what it feels like to raise a child? Has she had similar experiences? Or is this really just a sympathy note in disguise?

Responses were all over the place on Japanese Twitter:

“She seems like one smart cookie.”
“Oh my God, don’t make me laugh out loud while I’m in public at McDonald’s!”
“Just when I thought it was a cute thank you, that ending lol.”
“Aww, so cute. She’s such an understanding first grader.”
“It’s not a thank you note, it’s a sympathy card.”
“I think there’s a ‘thank you’ written there, just not using words.”

We’d have to agree with that last netizen there. Elementary-school kids are not shy when they want to be disparaging to their fathers — they just go straight for the jugular and say their roomba is a better dad than they are.

Source: Twitter/@tsumugi2012
Top image: PAKUTASO