Whenever my daughter receives a gift, I have her write thank you cards.  Am I old fashion or it is just common courtesy? This leads up to the question I was asked, “Why do you make your daughter write thank you cards? It’s just a waste of time and there is no need for it.”

Wrong! Writing thank you cards are never a waste of time. In today’s society technology has taken over and everything is done via email and text.  I find such things impersonal, but that is not the main reason why I have my daughter write thank you cards.

I have my daughter write thank you card to teach her to appreciate the gift she has been given.  Also for her to understand that the gift was given to her because people were thinking of her and she is not entitled to getting a gift just because it was her birthday or a holiday. Sending thank you cards are a sincere way to let the person know you appreciated the gift.

Is writing thank you cards old fashion? It may be considered old fashion for many in this day and age.  I feel it is more of a lost art now.

Is it a common courtesy? Yes, it is. But common courtesy is also becoming a lost art as well, IMPO.  It is so much easier to just send a text or an email, instead of taking the time out to write a thank you. I personally feel that sending thank you notes lets the recipient know you do appreciate the gift they gave you.

But postage has become so expensive. Yes, it has.  But think about how often you would send thank you cards out. You are likely to spend more on sending out holiday cards than you would on thank you cards. You can save on postage by personally delivering the card yourself, if possible.

Thank you cards are also a good way for your child to practice writing. At first, my daughter could only write a simple line of ‘Thank you for my gift’ and then she would sign the card by writing her name.

If your child is still too young to write, most thank you cards are blank and they could scribble or draw a picture in the card and you can write a thank you for them.  Or they could finger paint or make fingerprint art in them.  There are all sorts of ways your child can add personal touches to the card.

For children doing thank you cards should be fun and not forced.  Sit down and explain to them why you are asking them to write thank you cards.  It will help them understand why they are doing this and when it is fun, they will enjoy doing them.

If you need some ideas, you can do a Pinterest search. It is amazing all sorts of things you will find.  When you are looking for ideas, keep your child’s age in mind. What might be fun for a younger child, may not be fun for an older child.

Purrs & Roars,