How to Get Your Kids to Write Thank-You Notes

Training them early and setting a good example will get the kids' thank-you notes in the mailbox.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Postage Stamps
• Colored Pens
• Personalized Stationery
• Stationery
• Cameras
• Colored pens
• Cameras

1. Take the kids along when you pick out the notes. They should have a say in which ones they send.

2. Make thank-you cards if you only need a few; the kids will have so much fun they'll be happy to do it next time.

3. Get the thank-you notes out early - as soon as possible after the gift has been opened.

4. Write the message on a separate piece of paper if your kids are under 10. They can copy it over onto the note and make it pretty. Have an older child make up the message first, and then you can help polish it.

5. Cover the basics by thanking everyone who sent the gift.

6. Name the gift. "Thanks for the snorkel," "I loved the fish tank," "It was the wagon I was hoping for." It's important that the kids know what gift they're thanking the giver for.

7. Include a little story: "We made cookies in the toy oven" or "Our dog slept with that Raggedy Anne." This shows it was used and appreciated.

8. Send a greeting and a nice thought, which indicates it was not just for the gift that everyone thought of the giver. For example, "I hope to see you at the cottage" or "Hanukkah was special at your house."

9. Have your child sign however he or she can: a name, an inked handprint, a picture of the infant, an X, a lipsticked kiss mark, scribble scrabble with the child's name printed next to the crayoned attempt, etc.

Tips & Warnings

• A nice photo of your twins in their PJs, or your strapping teenaged son on his surfboard, could be a great thank-you note.
• Consider something creative as a thank-you, such as a batch of brownies.
• If the gift was an art kit, stationery, a computer or a fancy pen, use it to thank the giver.
• A phone call is a thanks, of course, but not as nice as the dying art of the handwritten note.
• Don't write the note for your kids - it won't teach them anything.

Who Can Help:

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[mcguire5]

on 2/9/2009 Here's something I need to work on. No excuses now!

[Veronica35]

on 7/18/2007 Great comments. One of my kids has a hard time thinking of what to say. I found a web-page with fill-in-the-blank starter thank yous for kids and a little thank you for my youngest. http://www.my-thank-you-site.com/kids-thank-you-notes.html

[maryzeee]

on 6/21/2007 We let the kids play with their gifts on the day they receive them. But, then we put them in the closet the next day and they cannot take them out until they have written all of their thank you notes.

on 11/22/2005 As my kids got older and a little harder to persuade, we simply told them that they could enjoy the gifts only when their thank you notes were written.

on 11/22/2005 When my kids get gifts, they cannot use or play with the toys until the thank-you notes are written and sent. It works like a charm!