More Thank You Notes

Do you require your children to write thank you notes? When our kids were really little, I'd write a simple thank you for them and have them draw a picture of the gift they received. As they learned to write, I had them add their name or the words "thank you." Now, most of my crew are big enough to write a few sentences without too much effort. Beyond the basics, I encourage them to show some emotion and creativity in what they write, more than the "Dear Grandma, Thank you for the Legos. I like them." Expressing gratitude for tangible items or services is always important, but I like to challenge the kids to also think about the relationship they have with the other party. This helps train them to express thanks for gifts that they might not be so excited about, to look past the gift to the giver. Just one more step in civilizing the next generation.

My son just had a birthday and needed to write a few thank you notes, but all the note cards I had on hand were too "girly" for him. So I quickly designed something a boy wouldn't be embarrassed to give to his buddies. It prints 3 per page and fits into a standard business envelope, which I (usually) have on hand.

download a pdf version here