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,

Hard to find nice stationery for boys though. I remember I always got a letter writing kit every Xmas and first use of it was always my thank you letters.

It's really rude not to.

Yes. Dd is 4 and writing 2 a day at the moment. It was easier when all she had to do was scribble on it. When older she can call and thank people.

I use it as a way of sending pictures and updates to relatives we don't see very often and mostly don't use computers.

Yes always

It's really rude not to.

How? If You have thanked in person..or you have sent a message or e mail/ video?

Yes. And having had years of moans about it, they've already written them without me having to ask. I hope this continues.

Yes mine are 17 and 14.

They do moan about it a little and say why don’t the older generation write thank you cards for their presents 🤷‍♀️

Yes, either a letter or email depending on the person.
We have done so since they were babies. Started with hand/footprints so more us saying thank you but gradually progressing to hand written notes (maybe generic and copied in the early years) but we've tried to instill basic manners/common courtsey into our children.

Yes, I've always made DS do thank you cards. Now he is older he sends thank you messages on Facebook (my account) to aunts and uncles who sent him money. His grandparents aren't on FB or WhatsApp so he will write a card for them. I sent a thank you card myself to FIL who had sent us all cheques for Christmas. I do think it's important that gratitude is expressed, plus it also confirms that nothing's gone missing in the post, which is useful.

Absolutely yes. Always a pain to get them to do it, but it's a strong principle of mine.

No, we just say thank you when we see them. Writing is difficult enough for ds at the best of times.

If they've said thank you in person when receiving the gift, no, otherwise yes

Yes always if they didn’t open gift in front of giver & say thanks in person

No, I can't stand them and if we receive them they go straight in the bin.

They are so wasteful, as are Christmas cards etc, plus a totally old fashioned concept

I've never received a thank you card - so clearly not everyone is writing them!

DC have always done thank you letters, is they are teenagers it's an email not a 'letter'

Yes. I agree @Gillian1980 I'm using 'vintage' ones I got unopened from a charity shop.

I think it's nice for the gift giver and important for children to learn to be appreciative too.

I have never sent or received a thank you card/letter for a Christmas or birthday present. I had never even heard of anyone doing it until I joined mumsnet. I have never had a gift that wasn't handed over in person, and the giver always gets a thank you there and then.

Thank you cards are reserved for weddings and baby gifts in my part of the world.

Yes, always. They are 6 and 8.

Yes, mine do. And of course I do.

I think being able to knock out a good thank you letter is a valuable life skill. In business as well as socially.

It's OK to send by email, but getting something nice on the mat does have quite a strong effect.

All gifts are normally handed over in person here, so we just thank in person at the time.

For the odd occasion when something has been sent from someone we won't see then a phone call is sufficient, and all that is expected in my family.

A text or WhatsApp or email message can also be acceptable for the tech savvy of us, but can't do that for elderly parents.

Those who expect to receive them from children you rarely see, would you not prefer to have a quick telephone chat with them to try and development a relationship between yourself and the child than a card?

I make Dc (8&11) write to a couple of elderly relatives who send them very generous cheques each year plus another to an ex neighbour who is lonely and I know loves getting letters from them. They telephone aunts/uncles and we generally agree no need if we've seen each other to thank in person over Christmas. Dh never did as a child and so it generally falls to me to persuade/badger/cajole into getting them done before they go back to school when there's zero chance of ever doing it.

I do think it's important especially to those people who don't see them regularly yet still go to the expense & effort of sending them a gift each year.

Yes. It's painful and usually takes us a bit too long but it would go down very badly in our family not to send them.

I think they are essential with people like great-aunts. I get a bit narked about being hassled for them by grandparents, who saw the child open the gift, heard them say thank you, and still expect a card quick smart, while never giving us thank you cards for the gifts we gave them. The children hand make gifts for them every year and they never get a thank you card come back the other way.