Moms and dads have been leaving notes on fridges, doors and lunch bags for generations. These 30 real notes, shared online by their kids and by the parents themselves, show that a little humor goes a long way.
This Is Not a Lunch Note
When her daughter announced she was too old for notes in her lunch, this mom found a loophole. Her message insists it’s not a note and not a reminder that she loves her, just a very poor choice of napkin.
Mom Is in a Meeting
Working from home meant a lot of interruptions, so this mom taped a sign to her door: in a meeting from 9:30 to 11, do not enter. Underneath, she listed the most likely answers, including upstairs, in the wash, no and a piece of fruit.
The Bathroom Cleaning Prize
These parents hid a note under a rag the kids had left on the bathroom floor. The first kid to find it would win $50, minus one dollar for every day since the date at the top. When the photo was posted online, a week had gone by and nobody had found it yet.
The Misspelled Microwave Note
Dad’s sticky note on the microwave said the ‘handel’ was broken. His kid answered by taping up a portrait of the composer George Frideric Handel with one word underneath: ‘Me?’
A Quick Trip to the Store
At 8:43 in the morning, this mom left a short and dramatic update: she had gone to Walmart and asked her family to pray for her. Her kid later shared that both of them are atheists.
One in a Million
With his wife away for work, this dad was in charge of lunch notes, and his daughter worried he’d just draw a stick person. He drew a whole sheet of them instead, with one labeled Abby and the words ‘You’re one in a million!’
A Package From Mom
This mom mailed her adult kid an electronic yodeling pickle, along with a note explaining everything. Yes, it’s a pickle, it yodels, and it should be played loud and proud.
You Need a Coat
One cold day, this kid was about to walk out of the house without a coat. Dad had left an envelope right on top of the keys, with four words in big letters: ‘U NEED A COAT.’
The Best Present of All Time
This dad wrapped a small gift for his teenager with a big question on the paper: ‘Is this the best present of all time?’ Inside was a piece of knotted rope with googly eyes and a tag that read, ‘I’m a frayed knot!’
Who Let the Dogs Out?
Coming home from work, this kid found a note from Mom about the family dogs. It answered the famous question from the 2000 Baha Men song: who let the dogs out? Me, me, me.
An Eviction Notice for the Baby
These parents announced a new baby by handing their toddler an official-looking eviction notice. It said the current occupant had to vacate by October 19 because a new tenant was moving in, with an ultrasound photo at the bottom.
Two Graduation Notes
Mom’s card for their graduating son is sweet and proud. Dad wrote his note right on a $100 bill: thanks to inflation, it was really a $93 bill, and welcome to adulthood.
Where to Put the Cereal
This bright yellow sticky note on the cereal box had one request: put the cereal where the short people of the house can reach. The kid who shared it added that their mom is 5 feet 1 inch tall.
A Message From Management
Above the toilet paper holder, this parent posted a small, flowery note with a firm rule. If you won’t hang the roll facing front, you can get out. The note is signed simply ‘Management.’
The Hairy Tomato
Left on a covered plate in the kitchen sink, this note gave one clear instruction in red marker: ‘Don’t throw away hairy tomato.’ Whatever the hairy tomato was, Mom wanted it kept.
A Surprise in the Parking Garage
This son got a job in the same area as his mom and parked in the same garage. At the end of his first week, he found a printed photo on his car window with a message from Mom: hope you had a great first week, little man.
How to Feed the Fish
This parent made sure the family fish would be fed properly. The note had real fish food pellets stuck to the paper, showing exactly how much to give, how long to wait, and how much to give again.
Tricked Ya
The first note said, ‘Oh no! My mom didn’t give me a lunch note today!’ Then the kid opened the sandwich and found a second message tucked inside: ‘Tricked ya!’
The Grey Cat Warning
This note came with a drawing: ‘Don’t talk to the grey cat!’ An arrow points to a very round cat, and a second arrow labels it, in case anyone missed the point, as fat.
Two Hearts From Mom and Dad
One parent cut out a pink heart that said ‘You make the whole world shine brighter every day.’ The other parent’s purple heart was a little more honest: ‘I love when you accidentally f@rt!’
A Note for Every School Day
In their child’s first year of taking lunch to school, these parents put a note in the lunchbox every day. They saved every one, and the colorful sticky notes now cover the whole side of the fridge.
A Banana With a Message
Instead of paper, this mom wrote straight on the fruit. The banana itself pleads its case: ‘Throw me away if you don’t want me.’
The Dishes Will Not Wash Themselves
Before going out of town, this parent printed a poster of a sink full of dirty dishes with a scrub brush, labeled ‘The Dishes,’ and the line ‘will not wash themselves.’
Notes Taped Around the House
These parents left their instructions all over the house on small pieces of paper: do the dishes, let the dog out, let the dog in, feed the dog and brush your teeth.
Bedtime Announcement
This late-night note gets straight to the point: Dad and Mom are going to bed, Eric is going to bed, and the streaming is way too loud for this hour.
The Empty Milk Jug
Someone in this house put an empty gallon of milk back in the refrigerator, and Mom noticed. She wrote her verdict right on the jug in black marker: the person who did it is dead to her. She still signed it ‘Love, Mom.’
A Lunchbox Napkin Joke
This mom turned a plain paper napkin into a lunchtime joke: ‘T-Rex hates doing push-ups.’ Below it, she drew the dinosaur struggling on the floor with its tiny arms, and signed it with a heart.
Why Did the Tomato Cross the Road?
A sticky note in the lunchbox asked an old riddle: why did the tomato cross the road? The answer, next to a hand-drawn tomato, was ‘to ketchup with friends!’ Mom signed it with a heart.
Dinner Money With the Cat
Dad went to dinner with the aunt and uncle and left his son a note apologizing for ditching him. The pizza money was left with Meatloaf, and the photo reveals who Meatloaf is: the family cat, asleep on the couch with the cash.
To My Favorite Son
Every Christmas, this dad gives each of his kids a personalized card. One year, he decided to have some fun, and every card got the exact same greeting: ‘To my favorite son!’
