Teaching Your Youngsters the “Art of Thank You”

Thank you

Since the season of gifts and giving recently passed, I guess I’m more aware that “thank you” and thank you notes (even e-mails) have become a lost art or lost courtesy.  When we received gifts, or even were shown acts of kindness and consideration, my mom had us children write thank you notes.

Each year, the day after Christmas, the four of us sat at the dining table and wrote notes to Grandma, Auntie, Uncle Charles and Aunt Freda.  If there was anyone else, like Cousin Ina or a neighbor, who gave us gifts, that went on our list, too.  This became second nature with me, ingrained so it’s automatic.

However, I’ve discovered this has become a lost courtesy with most people.  They may say a hurried “thank you” when you hand them something, but never a note, not even an e-mail.  Not that I give gifts solely to receive a thank you note.  Also, if you send gifts a distance, you do like to know the person received it and that it’s not floating around in transit for ages.

My daughter and son-in-law have their children sit down after Christmas, birthdays, and other gift receiving occasions to write notes to those who have given them the gift.  I’m pleased this is being carried out for yet another generationn of my family and hope they think to teach their children.

I wonder what’s happening to our society when thank you seems to have gotten lost…and taking time to write a note  is almost never heard of.  

What do you think about thank you notes? Is this something you do and teach your children?  In today’s computerized world, youngsters can have fun designing and producing thank you notes this way.   There also are books out there with suggestions for various types of thank you notes.