Do you make your Children write thank you cards

[CarolineCJ]

I am just curious as to how many people ask their children to write thank you cards after they have received something say Christmas/Birthday,

Always

Yes! If someone has bothered to wrap and send a present, or organise a nice outing, the least the child can do is a few lines saying thank-you.

A paragraph thanking the person for such a thoughtful gift.
A comment about the gift and how when it will be used.
A personal comment.

A card or letter is generally preferred.

Yes

Yes, always.

Yes always do thank you cards - mainly for big / important events eg First Communions (I’m in Ireland) to all and for birthdays, Christmas to those outside immediate family.
People have often been very generous to my children and I think the effort of a simple thank you note (me organising it, kids writing it) is important.

For myself, I’ve gone back to writing short thank you notes for kind gestures, a listening ear, nice dinner, instead of just a text.

Yes, always.
Though it’s getting harder to find the packs of Thank You notes/cards in the shops. Last year we made them and this year ordered them from amazon.

I always have in the past, but we don't seem to have got round to it this year!

I think just a WhatsApp or text is lazy and rude compared to the effort and expense of choosing, wrapping and sending or delivering the present.

My DD is nearly 3 and we always write a card from her, which she now ‘signs’ for all presents she receives, I think it is good manners. And shows that you genuinely appreciate the gift

No, I think it's a waste of paper. Saying thank you in person is fine.

I have a friend that does this, and while they are lovely to receive - I always feel sorry for the child knowing they've been forced to sit and write it out. My DSis on the other hand records a little video message from my nephew, which I love!

No, my dc say thank you when they get something. No need for more thanks.

I think just a WhatsApp or text is lazy and rude compared to the effort and expense of choosing, wrapping and sending or delivering the present.

The people who send us gifts 99% of time also receive gifts from us. Anyway, surely the thank you is the important bit, it's a bit of a waste of time and paper imo.

Only for people who we won't see in person or call.
One Auntie was thanked by Whats App, one Uncle yet to be thanked should see them this weekend if we don't he will call.

Children need to learn to say thanks but times have moved on from post.

Somehow I think wedding / engagement / new baby gifts are different and should be thanked in writing. Not sure why!

Even as a child in the 80s as I saw my family over the festive period I thanked them in person, excluding one overseas Auntie who got a letter.

No I don't see the point of it. A thank you when you receive the gift or a thank you via text or phone call is just as good.

I still write thank you cards for my gifts (28 year old). When my son was born I wrote thank you cards for all his presents - over 150... took a while but people were so appreciative of the hand written card, especially the older generation.

I honestly don't see what's lazy about sending a text or calling. Surely the thank-you is the important bit?

I also think its important for children to learn to use all forms of communication in the world we live in.

Yes we do, my son is too young to write them himself but making the cards and delivering/posting them is a good rainy day activity. Also as a child I was never taught to do this or even say thank you and I actually found this very embarrassing when I was older and didn’t know how to suddenly start when I’d never done it before

Yes - the majority of people who send DD gifts are not people we see often; mostly, I don't expect to see the giver within the next six months (mainly due to geography). DM always made me do them, and talked about the importance of recognising the person's efforts - so I know she likes to receive them. The far-flung plus DM then means there's only about 3 other givers so I figure we may as well do all of them! When DD was tiny, I used her drawings/scribbles as notepaper and wrote on the top. These days I get her to write a few lines and maybe draw something. I sometimes scan and email them though, where international postage costs are involved.

Always - mustn’t let standards drop
(No pun intended)

Yes - feel guilty this year as they typed them up and just wrote ‘dear name’ and signed them.
Normally we hand write cards but DD has a referees laptop for Xmas and wanted to use it.

Yes! It's polite to thank someone for a gift. Instilling manners at a young age goes a long way in life.

Op do you write thank-yous to the people who give to you?

Yes, always.

Oooooh thanks for the reminder. We do - always have, always will. (Not always very prompt but better late than never). DS 14 and DS 11. We don't have that many - 2 sets of grandparents, 2 godparents, 2 aunts, a great aunt, a distant cousin. The boys have written some hilarious ones over the years and I think they've been well received. Sometimes they draw, sometimes they design something on computer with pictures. I guess we could do email but there's something a bit quaint about a letter and I like the tradition. I think letter writing is a bit of a dying art so happy to enforce it once a year. Boys happy to do it.