Thank You Letters

I have my children say thank-you to their guest when they open the gift and when they are leaving the party. If they receive a gift from someone who could not attend the party I have them write a Thank-you note. I feel my children have been taught basic manners.

I think if the presents are opened in front of the giver and a verbal thank you issued, a written thank you is not necessary. Now, if they open the presents after everyone left, then yes, you should have received a written thank you note.

Yes, people have been forgetting to teach manners. We send thank you's for EVERYTHING. My daughter's baptism was last weekend and the thank you's are going out this week. I'm a stickler for thanking. Why would people want to ever go to a function again (and bring a gift!) if it's not appreciated?!?!

I understand the frustration. I vented about this to my husband. We didn't get a thank you after a WEDDING of one of our closest friends. I guess they assumed that since we see them every so often, they could just thank us in person and skip paying for the postage. TACKY!!!!

Hi JN,

My daughter had her friend birthday party last weekend and the thank you notes will be in the mail today. It also irks me when people don't send thank yous. In fact, we send gifts to our neices for birthdays & Christmas every year and they don't even tell us when/if the gifts arrive, much less thank us. It's very irritating, isn't it?

Just continue to set an example to your son.

Best,

M.

This is a huge pet peeve of mine and I feel that even if there was a verbal thank you said, a thank you card still needs to be sent. I don't know ~ maybe it's just the way I was brought up, but I truly believe that a handwritten thank you card shows the person that you appreciate their present enough to take time to write out a card and send it to them. Unfortunately, I think that parents are too busy nowadays to teach their children basic manners like sending a thank you card. I know that my daughter will always send a thank you card for every present she receives. So, know that it's not ALL parents, but sadly A LOT of parents that don't instill this in their children.

I always have my daughter send thank you cards. I feel that it is necessary to teach her that she should be thankful that someone thought about her to give her a gift. So even though she does a verbal thank you, it is always best to send a card. It certainly can't hurt anything by sending an extra thank you and because she is only 5 she adds her personal touch to the cards, which makes them extra special.

Also, my husband owns a business and for customers who refer him to other clients he always sends a gift around Christmas--not cheap gifts either, usually a value of at least $100.00--in all of the gifts that he has sent we have never received a thank you--a card or a phone call. So, I always call to make sure that they have received the gift and then they say, "Yes, we have and thank you." It is a sad state when you have to call to make sure that they received the gift and then and only then will you receive a thank you.

Me too. I always write thank yous for the gifts he has received ever since he was born (he is now 3). In my mind, if I give a child a present, I am just curious to know if they liked it or what have you, so I always write and let the people know how much my son liked getting a present and what we are now doing with it. It help builds relations and let people know they are important to our Lives. I can't imagine not receiving a present, and believe me, I have given and given and never received anything from some people and it just makes me think they are selfish and self absorbed to never thank another. And I don't want to give to them anymore. Geesh!
(plus, stationary is pretty!)

Even if people have their kids give a verbal thank you, a written thank you follow up is an absolute in my opinion. I think it is rude to not do it. I was always taught to send a thank you and my child always does. That really bugs me when people don't send thank you's for gifts and I have a hard time forgetting it! It is sad if people aren't teaching their children to have good manners. Just a verbal thank you is not enough--even for basic manners. Sending a thank you in writing should be part of basic manners.

I personally think it's not polite and unfortunately, the way things are moving. To this day, because my parent's instilled it in me so much, I send thank you's for gifts I have received! Even if I opened up in front of the gift giver. And I send thank you's from my kids and plan to have them do so when they are older too.