To send thank you cards from my children

[Badgoushk]

...and expect at least an acknowledgment of gifts?

I'm 39 so not terribly old but I wonder if I'm being old fashioned?

Background: I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old and whenever they receive gifts I always send a thank you card. I intend to do this until they can write their own. Is this weird? I thought it was standard stuff but we never ever receive cards ourselves from other children/parents. In fact, I would say that 75% of the time, we don't even get a text to say thank you either or even a verbal thank you next time we meet.

AIBU?

I was always brought up to thank people for gifts, I think it's basic good manners and when I have children I will expect them to do the same. I don't believe that how you do it is that important, just thank them in whatever way works for you.

I'm a huge thank you card fan! I send them from my 3 year old for birthday and Christmas presents and I did it for his presents that people gave him when he was born. I write them as if they were from him. They are personal and always go down well. I will continue to do so until he his old enough to write them himself. I remember as a child, our stockings always had a pad of thank you notes and my brother and I always wrote our own. I also don't mind receiving a text, fb (personal) message, email, call whatever. It's the thanks that are important. It's bad manners to not acknowledge a gift. Makes me cringe when you see a public message on fb or on a group chat "did x get the present" " yes thank you x loved it" Manners cost nothing

Ok, maybe I should have said 40 years ago. You think they were less busy. But our lives are filled with time saving technology. Loads of people still didn't have washing machines, there were fewer supermarkets, there was no online shopping, kitchen appliances were fewer. Things just took longer.

I still maintain than anyone who reckons they are "too busy" to say thank you to someone who has sent them a gift (or to their children) needs to reassess their manners.

People who talk about how difficult it is to get around to: Christmas and Birthdays aren't sprung on you out of the blue! You know they're coming and there will be gifts! So why not stock up on notelets and stamps ahead of time so they're there and it's easy to do for the ones you haven't phoned or seen?

Or just send texts which is perfectly acceptable.

I was never made to send thank you cards as a child and my children don't either. We always say thank you in person though, or send a text / email / phone call. I wouldn't expect a thank you card, just an acknowledgement that the gift has arrived.

I was brought up to always write thank you notes for gifts or dinner or a visit and I still do it. One of the times when I felt most grown up is when I had notes printed with out address on like my Mum used to have. I do it for my kids too and will be enforcing it as they get older.

Most friends do them back. I know one or two couples that don't but threats all. It's certainly the done thing in my circle.