Her daughter’s stepmom tucked a handwritten note into the lunch every Friday for a year — the message inside left her in tears

Post-separation, most couples have a tough time navigating co-parenting their kids, especially when there are new partners involved. While we often hear stories of evil stepparents, a Reddit user from Florida who goes by the handle u/DimensionNo1577 wrote a heartwarming post about her daughter's soon-to-be stepmom. The stepmom often tucked handwritten notes into her lunchbox every Friday, and the messages left her feeling blessed for her 9-year-old daughter. Sharing the post on January 21, 2026, the user revealed that she is now planning to save the notes for her daughter to look back on one day, as reported by Newsweek on Monday, February 2, 2026.

Jacquelyn Anderson, a mom who shares custody with her ex-husband, was filled with emotions when she came across handwritten notes inside her daughter's lunchbox. Taking it to Reddit, the mom posted pictures of the notes that were written by her daughter's stepmother, Aidan. She revealed that every Friday, her ex-husband's partner would leave sweet notes in her daughter's lunchbox. Each note started with the title "TGIF," an abbreviation for Thank God it's Friday. The playful notes included illustrations of fruits, a fedora-wearing tiger, and a farting girl, paired with captions such as "That Guy Is Fruit," "Tiger Grinning in a Fedora," and "Thank Goodness it's Fart-day." The notes always ended with a beautiful message like "Have a great day, kiddo! I love you," and "XOs."

 Anderson, who began finding these notes when she took her daughter on weekends, decided to collect them for over a year. Sharing the notes, the mother wrote, "I personally enjoy seeing these every week. These are from last school year, but I have a whole new collection of them from the new school year. I'll save them for her to look back on one day."

Speaking to the outlet, the mother said that she finds the note unique, funny, and thoughtful. “I love knowing that my daughter has so many people who care about her, and I hope the notes bring her a little joy or confidence when she opens her lunch at school,” she explained. A 2024 study published in the "Journal of Social Philosophy" advocated for better social and legal recognition of stepparent-stepchild relationships. The study argued that stepparents play the same significance as a child’s relationship with their biological or adoptive parents. "We might even come to realize that multiple parents are the ideal, not the defective and regrettable model it has been propped up to be," the study noted. As stated by Anderson, her daughter now gets to grow up in a positive environment regardless of what had happened between her parents in the past.

The Reddit post was lauded by fellow users who shared their thoughts. u/cmrh42 remarked, "I am so happy to see this post is from the kid's mom celebrating the dad's future wife's notes. That is the healthy way to focus on your kid's happiness. You are great." u/madpeanut1 penned, "I'm a stepmom, and it’s so sweet that you’re highlighting your kid’s stepmom…. It's not always an easy place to be… You love these kids and can only hope that they will love you half as much as they love their parents." u/Strange-Marzipan9641 praised, "You, Dad, and Aidan are winning at parenting! Your daughter will grow to be a respectful, problem-solving peacemaker."

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