Smarter Mom: Thank-You Note Survival

[AmyKuras]

This past Saturday, I did probably the most annoying thing I have done in my seven-plus years of being a mom: I made my daughter write thank-you notes for her First Communion gifts. And oh.my.word was it the worst ever.

Mind you, I believe in thank-you notes. Love them. I like getting them and even like writing them. But making a whiny child do it? Ugh. However, I do think it's important to teach her at a young age to do it herself instead of just do the task for her.

What helped was having sort of a basic template: "Dear ___, Thank you for the __. I really liked (aspect of the gift), or in the case of money, "I will (save it/spend it on X thing I have always wanted, etc.). It was great to see you at my party. Love, __.  Uncomplicated, does the job, and she can handle it herself. The other thing that would have helped is letting her do them in smaller bits, but it was a small party (she only had, like, six) and we were kind of overdue in getting them out.

Now I just have to address them, stick on stamps and get them in the mail!

What's your go-to strategy for thank-you notes? Do you think they are important?

[Rain2Rinse]

I think I'm pretty lucky, because DD loves to write. So it isn't a chore to have her write out thank you notes.

[Madelaine]

I do think they are important and the kids do have to write their own.

[Wish2Be]

 I send them out for every birthday party we have or any gift I have ever received ! :)

I love them !

[proudmommy690]

i have a hard time finding words for thank you notes lol.. i always just tell them thank you in person.

[Luvmybooskies]

 I don't do thank you cards for their birthday party. They say, "Thank you" after opening every gift, then again as our guests leave and we give them their goody bag. I usually call or send them a text message later that night thanking them again. However, now that she has friends from school, we probably will send out Thank You cards, because I know it's the appropriate thing to do and I try really hard to instill manners in my kids. I will take my girls to the store, let them pick out the cards, then my four year old will sign her and her sister's name.  (Their birthdays are only 16 days apart, so we do one big outdoor party every year)

[Flaca43]

I still feel bad about not being able to send out thank you cards for my little one's baby shower.

I think for occasions like that it is important and a nice thing to do.

[lil_mama06]

I just do the generic thank you note. 

[wandep]

I just write them for the kids too.

[lasombrs]

my oldest is 2 so i do them myself. i am bad at giving them to immediate family but always send to those we seen only once or twice a year. and basically word it the way you did

[nlonnon]

They are a must for us!  My kids are only 5 and 3.  For the 5 year old I make her write the name of the person and sign her name.  I fill in the rest.  For the 3 year old, I write them all out and let him scribble on them.