Writing thank you notes seems to be a lost tradition, and I think that is very sad. Though I can’t say I always remember to write them, I find it almost impossible to find anyone who does so on a regular basis. There are many who will do so after their wedding, and this is only because they are informed by friends and family that this is something that they must do. This is always one of the first times a new bride might sign her new name (if she has changed it), so she may be more excited about writing them. Otherwise, though, they don’t seem to be important any longer.
When someone does something special for me, I always try to send them thank you notes to let them know that they are appreciated. Everyone should do this, but so few people realize how important this is until they fail to receive one. I have been trying to teach my young daughter how important thank you notes are, but I’m not sure I am getting through. Childhood is the perfect time to teach this, and even if it doesn’t seem as if your message is getting through, you may be surprised later on to see that it has.
Younger children cannot really write out their own thank you notes, but if they can sign their name, they can send out a card. You can get them a package of pre-worded ones that they can sign and you can put them in the mail for them. When they get so they can write on their own, they can add their own little message to blank thank you notes. If you get them doing this at a young age, they may continue though life. This may also teach them that when someone does something for them that it is a big deal and they should be thankful that someone cares enough to think of them.
Very young children certainly cannot write thank you notes, but they can color a picture. This is a great way to teach your child to say thanks to someone who did something for them or gave them a gift. Tell them that they need to say thank you, and that if they were to color a special picture for that person, they would know they were thankful. My daughter always loved to do this, and she is always coloring pictures instead of thank you notes. This works great for us, and until she learns to write on her own, I think this is the best way to go about thanking those who care about her.
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