How to Write Thank You Notes With Your Child

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By Justine Freeman
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Write Thank You Notes With Your Child

Writing a 'Thank You' note is an important etiquette lesson for children to learn. It is a way to tell someone you appreciate that they took their time, thought, and hard earned money to buy you a gift. Here are some effective strategies you can use to guide a child in successfully writing a 'Thank You' note.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

'Thank You' Notes
Pen
Paper
Crayons
Patience

Step 1

A very young child can still participate in the process of writing a 'Thank You' note. Give your child some crayons and allow them to add their own personal touch to the notes while you write them. Contributing to the process shows your child that this is something we do when we receive a gift.
Step 2

If your child has the ability to write the alphabet, then write the 'Thank You' notes and leave some blanks. Allow your child to fill in the blanks. It is typical for them to use invented spellings of words. Although, if you have a perfectionist, you may have to assist them with spelling words correctly.
Step 3

Using your writing as a model is a great way for a child to learn how to write. On a separate sheet of paper write the 'Thank You' note. Then allow your child to re-write the note on cards. Another way to use this strategy is to write the note on a separate sheet of paper with blanks like in the strategy above. Then, have your child re-write the entire note filling in the blanks as well.
Step 4

If your child is capable of writing their own 'Thank You' notes, allow them to, but give them some boundaries to work within. Tell them that they have to be mindful of the format (date, greeting, body, closing, signature). Show them examples of 'Thank You' notes. Say that in the first sentence they should thank the person for the item. In the next couple of sentences, tell the person what they like about the item or what they are going to do with that item. Finally, thank them for the item once more. Children are able to write well when they have parameters to work within.