The holidays are over and you have packed away the decorations, wrapping, and tinsel, for another year. As you gaze into your children’s forlorn faces, you know there is just one thing left to do…Write Thank You Notes. I do not know how my mother put up with the whining and complaining that accompanied every attempt I made at thank you notes. But I am glad she pushed me. As an adult, it brings a smile to my face every time I get a Thank You note from a niece or nephew.

But aren’t Thank You notes a bit outdated? No! It is a common courtesy. And would you support your kids deciding not to say please or thank you? Okay they may or may not use Thanks You notes when they get older, but are you really using all that math you learned in school? However, it’s there when you need it and that goes for Thank You notes too. I can’t describe how valuable I found them to be in the business world. Even a quick thank you email has cultivated an important relationship. So think of it more as planting the seeds for your child’s future success.

Now how do you get them sit down and write? When I was a kid, my mother placed a list of all my relatives matched with the gift I received next to me. Then I promptly took the stationary and wrote a dozen or so form letters. Thank you (name goes here) for the wonderful (present here). Then I added a brief description about how much I played with the toy, or how much I liked the clothes. Next came the signature and I was done. 

But the Savvy Source has some great ideas to make Thank You notes more fun. Here are some of their ideas:

For those too young to write (legibly), let them dictate the Thanks You notes. You ask them what they want to say and then write it down verbatim. No editing here, because your friends and family will get more enjoyment out of hearing your child’s voice. Okay, if they say “I didn’t want another skirt, I asked for a dolly” you might want to edit. But anything else should be included. Now your kids can add stickers or color the Thank You note to add their own personal touch.

The digital age is here, so why not email your Thank You notes. This does take a bit more work, but it is worth it. You will need an easel, a marker, and a digital camera. Write on the easel “Thank you for the…” Now put your child next to the easel with the gift and snap a picture. Now you can print them to make your own cards, or even easier, download the pics to your desktop and email them off to friends and family.

For emerging writers, use the dot to dot technique. This may not work for the whole letter but you can at least use it for their name and a few words in the Thank You note. Just create a series of dots that the little one can trace to make the word. The joy here is in your child’s sense of accomplishment at seeing their name or other words that they have written. This might be the most labor intensive, but the smile on your child’s face is worth it.

What ever technique you choose, Thank You notes are a valuable learning opportunity for your kids. It helps them connect with friends and family, plus their learning great manners along the way.