Is it just me or has the handwritten thank you card gone the way of the cassette tape? I think that's really unfortunate. Growing up, I was taught that after Christmas, you sat down and wrote a thank you note to all those who were gracious enough to give you a gift. I remember hating it at the time, but now I am trying to instill those same good manners in BG.
I know I'm a little behind from Christmas, but last night we worked on thank you cards. Since BG is not old enough to actually write the cards, I let her color them, then I write a note of thanks to the gift giver and mail it. I always keep thank you cards on hand for this. I have also tried to do this after birthdays as well. (I buy the inexpensive cards from Wal-Mart; usually a 10 pack for $1 or $2.)
Maybe it's just me and my need to be recognized, but I think gift-giving occasions require more than the casual thank you as you open the gift. There is something to an additional thank you, after the fact, that shows sincere appreciate for the effort it took the giver to find, wrap, deliver, and present the gift. I found a great post here on the subject of thank you cards. And in case you were wondering about the thoughts on the email thank you. I generally like an actual in-hand card, but I can see how it would be ok for the younger audience. But the purpose of the email would have to be the thank you, not an afterthought tacked on the end of something you were already sending. OK, I'll get off my soap box now.
2 years ago
9 comments:
I know that I am the #1 offender in this category. Does a heart-felt phone call work? I really enjoy talking on the phone...and for most of my family and friends it is the only way they can hear my voice.
I'm going to start working on it. And don't worry...we all have our soapbox issues ;o)
I am big on thank you cards too. I find is SO annoying when I give a shower or I go to a ahower or wedding and I get no thank you card.
Too funny! I have three TY cards sitting in my car, that should have been mailed off last week.
The etiquette rule is that if you thank the giver in person, you aren't required to send a TY note, unless it's a shower.
I love thank you cards! Whenever I get them I keep them. And I have cute little cards that have a "B" on them that I will send out as well. I wish people sent real letters still instead of emails. LOL
I'm with you on this one.
Keep working with BG to do this. The receivers of the notes do appreciate it.
It gets a little tedious when you have to help with kid thank you notes, but we have found creative ways each year.
Last year was a picture of the girls holding papers that read "Thank You" and we attached that to a card that they wrote on and mailed it. This year we found excellent kid thank you cards that all they have to do is fill in the name of who gave it, the item they got and then sign their name.
As long as my girls live with me, they will be expected to do handwritten thank you notes. It hopefully helps them to appreciate the things the get a little more when they take the time to do this.
Then there is my brother-in-law, who is over 30 and about to get married, who has his mom write thank you for his gift in her note. (Yes-she wrote it for him!)
I totally agree with you on the thank-you notes. That was a regular routine after Christmas and birthdays, and even though I really resented it as a child (I wanted to go PLAY!) I really appreciate it as an adult. And I think, too, that we should all write more letters and cards. It's fun getting mail!
I am so so SO bad about thank you cards. The worst. But I am totally ashamed of it and it is still on my list of things I want to be better about!!
Good for you for teaching your family to be good at it!
I finally mailed my kids' Christmas thank yous today. Of course, no one has sent any to us yet either. I like thank you notes. I like cassette tapes too.
Hmmmm - I haven't gotten a thank you card from you from Christmas yet. I normally wouldn't even care or think about it - but after reading this post I have realized that I now have reason to resent you.
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