How to Help Your Child Write a Thank You Note

Friends and relatives love to give your children cute clothes and neat toys. And though a thank you note from mom and dad is great, why not delight gift-givers with a note from your child? With a few helpful hints, even the youngest child can put a personal stamp on a thank you note. Read on to learn how to help your child write a thank you note.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Blank sheet of paper
• Crayons
• Thank you notes
• Camera
• Personalized thank you cards

1. Encourage a crayon work of art. For young toddlers, a picture scribbled in crayon is worth a thousands words. Ask your child to draw something with the gift-giver in mind, and then add a few words of your own to the masterpiece expressing your gratitude.
2. Try fill-in-the-blank notes. When your child is beginning to write his name or simple words, a fill-in-the-blank thank you note is perfect. These cards include spaces for the sender’s name, the gift itself and a signature.
3. Let your child find her own words. For older children who can write reasonably well, it’s tempting to dictate their thank you note to them. But that’s not authentic, and the giver will be able to tell. Let her write what she likes about the gift, how she plans to use it, and anything else she wants to say. It might look like a jumbled, out-of-order mess to you, but the recipient will be charmed and, best of all, will know it came from your child.
4. Teach gratitude even for ho-hum gifts. If your child receives a gift that he’s not crazy about, he may think he doesn’t have to acknowledge it. Teach him otherwise by helping him understand the thought behind the gift. Ask him to write about how good it feels to know that the gift-giver loves him so much that she sent him something special.

Tips & Warnings

• With any thank you note you send--especially before your child is old enough to write even a rudimentary note himself--include a photo of your child opening the gift or using the gift.
• Always discuss with your child why he or she is writing a thank you note. Even young children can be taught an “attitude of gratitude.”
• Your child may be more enthusiastic about writing thank you notes if he or she has personalized stationary or picks out notes with fun themes or characters.