Originally Posted by
SonjaG
It is a sad commentary on the times. Parents don't teach their children manners anymore. I'm not that old (my 27 yr old daughter might think otherwise, lol), but I was taught to always send a thank you note. I taught my daughter to do the same. In my opinion, an email is not sufficient and a text is definitely not appropriate. I don't care how much technology advances, there is no excuse for thoughtless behavior.
Hi Sonja,
My comment below is not meant as a personal flame, but another opinion not often expressed here. I was also raised to write a thank you note, but communication options have changed.
I was at a workshop a year ago on Working with First Nation Elders. It puts the idea of what is appropriate into a cultural context. In the Coast Salish community if something is important, the information must be passed orally face to face, second would be a phone call,the very last would be written information.
Yet in a Eurocentric world we discredit a thank you, given orally, in person or by phone and feel that only a hand written note is acceptable.
We have so many more ways to communicate that in my mind are as acceptable as a hand written note. We are not living 100 years ago when a written note was the only option, let alone the only acceptable option.
On Christmas Day my kids send email thank yous with photos of them with their gifts to the overseas grandparents. I feel that is just as acceptable as sitting them down with a pen and paper to hand write a thank you note, then posting it to arrive a week or more after the holidays.