thank you letters for pressies

[luciemule]

Is it me or does nobody say thank you for their kid's presents after parties anymore. My DD has been to goodness knows how many parties since last year and only 3 parents returned a thank you letter. Maybe I'm being petty but I would always send a quick thank you to other parents who came to my DD's parties. They've gone to the trouble of choosing a present and sometimes they don't even verbally thank you, let alone put pen to paper. Am I being unreasonable to think this?

i always expect my kids to write thank you notes to anyone who has bought a gift or given money at xmas or on birthdays.

Insist on it, it is good manners.

Ds has just made a load of thank you notes for his party at the weekend (he's 3) - basic good manners, imo (although I let off people who apologise for not having done them

me too

Hmmm.Perhaps it's just where I live then, that everybody is rude and doesn't send them!

I do send thank you notes (on dd's behalf - 4 years) because it is considered good form and the norm at her school - I wouldn't want to make a transgression, God forbid! - social death!!!

However I would prefer not to have the hassle (yet another thing to do) and I ponder why a genuine and sincere verbal 'thank you' can't suffice.

So even if you invited the whole class of 25 kids, would you make your kids write them then too? DD has been to lots of whole class parties lately so I just thought the parents couldn't be bothered as there were sooooo many presents and kids to thank.

I don't do parties usually, except on big birthdays like ds1's recent 13th when he invited 7 friends to Quasar.

I guess if it was a huge party with that many kids I would do a general, "xxx would like to thank everyone for coming to their party and a sincere thank you for all the lovely presents" letter and stick it up in the cloakroom at school.

ds had 24 to his party ... plus I'm doing thank yous for relatives too. Less hassle than ringing everyone to thank them, imho...

Have to say that if DD was handed the present and opened it (as she did at her party as only 5 others) then she would have said thankyou there and then, so therefore we don't send thankyou notes...

She is only 3 and seems silly to me that I should write them when she has already said thankyou...

If she was sent a present I will get her to say thankyou on the phone..

I guess when she is older than I will get her to write her own thankyou notes..

Must be the done thing around here, as she has been to about 4 parties recently and not one thankyou card.

But my SIL sends thankyou cards everytime we give nephew something, even if he has opened it in front of us.. don't get that really.

one of our best friends does that - notes for presents her kids opened while we were there and said thank you for at the time. i don't get it. she must have better things to do - and i just put the notes straight in the recycling...

I make sure dd says thank you for her presents. I have never done a thank you note and never will, it's a waste of time!

thanks everyone - I feel better that it's not just me who expects a thank you!

DD went to a party the other day. Instead of a thankyou letter the mum gave out a photo of all the children at the party with a quick 'thankyou' written on the back. Only do letters myself if haven't already said thankyou at the time, but thought this was really nice.

heifer - I think you must be me...... even with the same SIL!

I think if you have said thank you in person then a note is not necessary but otherwise I get the DSs to write thank yous. The toruble is with having a birthday just after Christmas though is that DS1 has to do a lot all at the same time!