Thank you letters .....

[crystaltips]

I know that it's a very antiquated view - but do you make your little darlings write "Thank-you" letters for their Christmas presents ..... ?

I have always been brought up to believe that it's good manners to do so - but my lot would rather "stick pins in their eyes"

What do you do ??

Yes, I get ds to do them. He makes them himself.

My dd is too young so I write them and send them.

A friend of mine gets the kids to write a generic one and then photocopies it. The kids then add a little note on the letter. As they've got older the notes have got longer.

i still write thank you letters & i'm 29! most of them are e-mails nowadays, & the one that really matters is to my grandma (all hell breaks lose otherwise). ds is almost 3 so the issue hasn't arisen yet, but i will certainly ensure that he does write them.

I do for birthdays, not for Xmas pressies, because they all come from Father Christmas in our house.

Ds1 can't wite yet, so I'll do a generic letter on the pc (usually a cute pic of the boys) and get Ds1 to sign it (and hope that the rellies don't notice that he apparently hasn't progressed any further in a year!)

I do them on dd & ds's behalf and they do drawings on them.

Yup - I wrote on thiri behalf for ages ... but they are now 9 and 11 and there is no excuse for them not to write ....

Hoxtonchick - I am 40 and I STILL write

but my kids are furious that I am asking them to put pen to paper

We have a pen thing that connect to the computer and you can sign emails etc.

When DS has to write loads he uses that

IT IS CALLED AN

X-P PEN

Same as saltygirl, only for people the children didn't see. When the were too young to write i just used to let them "draw"(scribble)on one side, then I wrote a little message on the other side. (inside the card)

Message withdrawn

This year I got preprinted cards from Phoenix Trading to simply the proces and reduce stress all round ! There are gaps for names, present and room for a sentence or two. ds filled his in and dd just "signed" after I'd completed them. Now just have to remember to write accompanying note and post them!

My DD is 2y 9m so we are still at the stage where I do them. Infact we did them all last Friday. I got some A5 black paper. She drew some pictures (or squiggles) on one side. I wrote a short thank you ont he reverse, and dotted out her name. She then attempted to join the dots to write her own name.

They are now all done, and some are on the way in the post.

I got ds1, dd and ds2 (5, 3, 1) to decorate cards or colour in pix to stick on cards, ds2 obv just a scribble, DD amazingly competent.
Then i wrote them all and got DS1 to sign his name.
Next b/day I think i might get him to write his too (just "thank you for the XXX love XXX")
I always send them and like myermay am amzed at numbners of those who don't even do a pirinted computer thing, how hard is that??
Also it makes a great activity for grotty January days.

Only to distant friends and relatives who we don't have regular contact with. So, don't bother with grandparents etc. who we speak to on the day but sent thank yous to great-aunties overseas IYSWIM.

I usually email a picture of the present being used. I find this goes down especially well with people who don't see her too often. For those without email I sometimes make a card, using Publisher, with pictures of the present being used or worn.

I write DS thank-yous (he is 4) and he usually adds a kiss or 2! I only send them though if I haven't seen the person face to face to thank them and this causes all sorts of problems in my family where certain other people have different ideas!!!!!

Like the email picture idea of the item in use! Hopefully will remember it for future. We do thank you letters in our house as we don't see many of the people who give presents. This year, DS2(3) stamped some A5 sheets of paper with red and green Christmas stamps (rather fingerprinty, but all part of the charm I told myself!)and then I wrote his letters (only for the few people who had only sent him presents) and he signed. DS1 (6)wrote the others,and they both signed. I like the idea of receiving thank you letters and also think it's good for the boys to take the time to write and think a little about the people who have given them gifts.

I did ds's (he's 20 months so thats his excuse...) and I am a bit peeved that we haven't had so much as a phone call off of my sil and bil's kids ....... It doesn't take much....

I need to write our thank you letters (DS is 13 months so is excused )