Having first announced they were expecting a second child with a feminist Facebook post about “strong women”, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan announced the birth of their second daughter by penning a heart-warming open letter on social media.
Taking to Facebook again (of course) on Monday (28 August), the second-time parents shared a letter to their daughter – detailing the importance of childhood, play and innocence, and encouraging their new baby not to “grow up too fast”.
“Your mom and I are so excited to see who you will become,” they began in the post, which was accompanied by a family photo of all four of them.
Read more: Mark Zuckerberg’s feminist baby announcement will make you want to phone your sister ASAP
The couple revealed they have named their daughter August – fitting for the month of her birth and a gender-neutral name.
With Latin origins, the name August is a form of the name Augustus, according to Baby Center and means reverence, or holding someone in high regard.
The name has gained popularity in recent years. In 2016, the name ranked its highest popularity rating ever in the USA, according to Social Security Administration.
Zuckerberg and Chan had their first daughter, Max, in 2015, and announced her impending arrival by revealing they’d suffered three miscarriages.
Announcing August’s birth, they took the opportunity to discuss childhood in today’s world.
“Rather than write about growing up, we want to talk about childhood,” they wrote in the post, which you can read in full below. “The world can be a serious place. That’s why it’s important to make time to go outside and play.”
Read more: Baby names inspired by feminist icons
They added: “You will be busy when you’re older, so I hope you take time to smell all the flowers and put all the leaves you want in your bucket now.
“I hope you run as many laps around our living room and yard as you want. And then I hope you take a lot of naps.”
The couple also placed significance on not worrying about the future when you’re a child.
“Childhood is magical. You only get to be a child once, so don’t spend it worrying too much about the future. You've got us for that.”
Images: Mark Zuckerberg / Getty
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