Page 3 | Send thank you cards for baby gifts?

Itsbeen84yearss · 2021-08-18T13:30:45+00:00

Is it me or is it bad form not to send thank you cards if you’ve invited people to a baby shower or even any following baby’s birth? I didn’t do a shower when I was pregnant but I still sent out cards for gifts people had been generous enough to give. Just wondering if I’m being OTT.

OkyDoke · 18/08/2021 15:49

We do for birthdays and Christmas.

Original poster

Itsbeen84yearss · 18/08/2021 15:51

The thank you was a generic fb message. I suppose I would have been less annoyed if she’d thanked me specifically.
Not to drip feed but she also didn’t send a card when I had my baby only a few weeks after her shower

OP posts:

Anordinarymum · 18/08/2021 15:53

@Itsbeen84yearss

I just think when you have a shower, you’re asking people to give. It’s a gift giving ceremony isn’t it? It’s not like a wedding. You’re literally only going to give your gift. This particular shower there wasn’t even food laid on. It was a sit down and fairly expensive meal. If the girl can organise that why not a thank you card?

Surely you don't organise your own baby shower? I thought others did that

BooomShakeTheRoom · 18/08/2021 15:54

Overkill. Waste of money and paper (trees).

I just text or say thank you when I'm with them. Thats sufficient imo.

sweatervest · 18/08/2021 15:56

why don't surrey girls get invited to orgies?
too many thank you letters to write.

plus also i always write a thank you card. micky flanagan said that (most) wimmin LOVE cards and i fall into the "most wimmin" category.

long live the stamp.

PineappleSun · 18/08/2021 15:56

I've had two weddings this summer, attended one and given fairly hefty gifts for both and not had a word of thanks for either, maybe it's just the way things are now.

llmk · 18/08/2021 15:59

Whoever she is you clearly don't like her very much. I would just cut ties tbh.

Anordinarymum · 18/08/2021 15:59

@Itsbeen84yearss

I had sepsis myself and two reflux babies. I’ve spent many years of my life sleep deprived but I’m still perfectly capable of pressing a few buttons on my phone whilst nursing to send some cards out. Plus if you have a shower it’s well before baby’s arrival.

"I had sepsis myself "

Sorry but I had to................

Did you send a thank you card?

Italiandreams · 18/08/2021 16:04

I did send out thank you cards but admittedly it wasn’t straight after baby was born, we were so busy adjusting etc so it depends how soon. I didn’t have a baby shower but I can’t imagine having a lot of time even before baby arrived, worked full time, baby arrived early so no real time before arrival and I was just so exhausted all the time. It’s nice to send them but think expecting them too soon is perhaps unrealistic. I obviously don’t know your timescales though .

Original poster

Itsbeen84yearss · 18/08/2021 16:08

@Italiandreams

I did send out thank you cards but admittedly it wasn’t straight after baby was born, we were so busy adjusting etc so it depends how soon. I didn’t have a baby shower but I can’t imagine having a lot of time even before baby arrived, worked full time, baby arrived early so no real time before arrival and I was just so exhausted all the time. It’s nice to send them but think expecting them too soon is perhaps unrealistic. I obviously don’t know your timescales though .

The baby is turning one soon. I only got thinking about it as she’s invited us to a first birthday which is yet another sit down meal and gift expectation. I won’t be going

OP posts:

Mommabear20 · 18/08/2021 16:08

I never sent cards for baby birth gifts as time just seems to fly by with a newborn, but I always made sure to text and thank people. I do however always send thank you cards for all birthday and Christmas gifts and as children get older (they're only tiny atm) they will be involved and then take over the writing of them, to get them into the habit of thanking people for things they receive

Peach01 · 18/08/2021 16:14

The baby is turning one soon. I only got thinking about it as she’s invited us to a first birthday which is yet another sit down meal and gift expectation. I won’t be going

Are you not going because she never sent you a thank you card?

Flamglimglubberty · 18/08/2021 16:14

YABVU who has time to write thank you cards with a new born to look after? And before anyone gives me the "when the baby is asleep" crap, I'm sorry there's so many other things that take priority in that time, including but not limited to; having a nap yourself, putting a wash on, having breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack/cuppa or just chilling out and enjoying a hard earned break.

Thank you cards are such a faff, it's a waste of paper, time and money that's better spent elsewhere. Just send a text, if it's clothes send a picture on WhatsApp with the baby in them with a thank you.

Blossomtoes · 18/08/2021 16:15

I don't ask for these things

You don’t really understand the nature of presents, do you?

QueenHofScotland · 18/08/2021 16:16

I send thank you cards - even for birthday and Christmas gifts. We are sometimes a bit late and the one time I didn’t do it I felt really bad.

I tend to order personalised postcard type ones from Amazon with a picture of the child or children who received the gift

Noidlet · 18/08/2021 16:17

DS has just turned 2. We've done Snapfish bespoke thank you cards for both christmases and birthdays. Pictures of him happy sitting with his gifts, always gone down really well with friends and family. Usually a good deal on, £15 for 24 cards.

I remember growing up writing thank you letters so it's just normal for me I suppose.

GreyhoundG1rl · 18/08/2021 16:17

YABVU who has time to write thank you cards with a new born to look after?
Well, most other people, actually?

HungryHippo11 · 18/08/2021 16:18

I didn't send thank you cards. To be fair, it was lockdown so not that easy to get hold of cards or to post them. However, I did text everyone who sent a gift, with a photo of the baby near/using/wearing the item.
I do the same for any gift for birthdays or christmas. But nobody else seems to, often I have no idea if the gift even arrived

Flamglimglubberty · 18/08/2021 16:21

@GreyhoundG1rl

YABVU who has time to write thank you cards with a new born to look after? Well, most other people, actually?

I'm pretty sure that thank you cards are a concept that only exists on MN, much like the chicken that can feed a family for a week.

The only time I've ever sent a thank you card was after my wedding, and the only time I've received them is after weddings (even then it's rare). It must be generational, there's nothing wrong with a text & photo on WhatsApp

emeraldcity2000 · 18/08/2021 16:23

I'm surprised so many people don't send them. I honestly can't recall not having a new baby gift acknowledged with a card...We always send photo thank you cards for birth gifts, birthdays and Xmas. Ds2 took a few months to get through all of them as we had a pretty tricky start but surely you can manage 1 or 2 cards a day for a couple of weeks... it actually takes longer when the kids get older and you have to get them to write them - but it's handwriting practice and teaching them good manners at the same time so all good.

SeasonFinale · 18/08/2021 16:24

We are another family that does do thank you cards. However, now my youngest is off to uni I have relented and told them that a text/whatsapp message is acceptable as long as it is personal and not just a "thank you for the gift" message.

I am not sure it is generational just manners.

sunflowerdaisies · 18/08/2021 16:27

In my circles people send thank you cards for baby presents yes. Now they're at school we get an acknowledgment of about half the gifts and very few cards.

Blossomtoes · 18/08/2021 16:27

I'm pretty sure that thank you cards are a concept that only exists on MN

Clearly not since so many of us send/receive/expect them and various outlets sell them.

Mindyourbusiness22 · 18/08/2021 16:27

I'd send a message or call the person, I hate cards.

OdeToAutumn · 18/08/2021 16:37

I did for new baby gifts, but most of my friends didn’t. They all thanked me, in person or by text. Just not with a card. I don’t really see why the specific method or form of the thank you matters, surely a thank you is the same whether someone called or wrote or text.

I don’t really like getting thank you cards from people for birthday presents. It’s obviously not a one off occasion and so I just find it a waste of paper.