Dad’s viral tardy note for his daughter is making moms swoon

Writing a tardy note is an art; anyone who has had to accompany their kid on the post-bell walk of shame into the principal’s office knows the angst that accompanies coming up with a good excuse. One dad in Israel chose to pull no punches.

Shalom Misk wrote his daughter Talia a tardy note that has been shared over and over for both its succinct candor and the sweet way he praises his wife and all that she does. The viral note, shared by Israeli writer Hanoch Daum on Facebook yesterday with the caption “Accurate!”, is short and sweet:

More:Teacher writes angry note on kid’s test for writing in cursive

The note reads:

To Talia’s teacher
Late Note
Good morning teacher!
Dad is not Mom. And Dad can’t do in one hour what Mom can do in half an hour.
Therefore, Talia is late.
Blessings,

Dad.

The note has been shared more than 16,000 times and liked more than 82,000 times, probably because it’s so relatable and actually very sweet. Usually two-parent teams function as a sort of machine: Each parent has their own set of tasks that they stick to, and any disruption in the routine throws everything into a tailspin. If the parent who usually gets kids ready for school is sick or traveling or absent for any reason, the second one is left to traverse new terrain.

It’s sweet that Misk was able to recognize this upset as being out of his depth and give his wife the kudos she deserves for keeping things running smoothly in the mornings. His wife, Deenah, even stopped by the comments to tell everyone what a great dad Misk is, thanks in part to his sense of humor.

More:7 Things more distracting to a teenage boy than girls’ clothing

The note was a hit, and tons of people showed up in the comments to share their own tardy notes and late-to-school drop-off stories, which just shows that this will eventually happen to even the best of us, if it hasn’t already. When it does, let’s hope we can take it all in stride with the perspective and humor that Misk did.

It also serves as a reminder to give our partners the credit they deserve. If you ever think that maybe what they do can’t be that hard, try doing it yourself for a day or two. Whether it’s potty training, chauffeuring kids around or taking over the homework help duties for a few nights, chances are that shifting duties will give you a little insight into how hard you both work.

More: This is motherhood in 6 hilarious (and viral) comics

And of course, if Misk gets Talia ready for school a few more times, he’ll probably find that he can do what his wife does after all, because practice makes perfect.