Writing a thank you note
10-06-2011, 04:38 AM
#21
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Woodstock, GA USA
Posts: 1,250
Bless you for raising your boys well!!
Originally Posted by ScoutingSquirrel
and I got in touch with my parents-in-law because the boys hadn't opened the Christmas presents from them by Boxing Day and responded ...
We open one set of presents each day, starting with immediate family on Christmas Day, and write (err ... draw) and Thank you for each item before we open the next set of gifts ...
Hubby's family seem to think I am very very strange for this but the time when we were at their home and played it their way I had an extremely overstimulated boy, who with all his cousins around him wasn't at all sure which gifts belonged to him (He said 'I really really like that fire truck' and was astounded when I said 'It's yours, don't you remember unwrapping it?' LOL!) and was overwhelmed by the huge heap of gifts piled around my feet, and I was totally stressed out trying to write a description of each item and who had given it on the back of a Christmas card!
I confess I don't make my boys, now 6 and 3, produce a thank you for items they have received AND unwrapped in the presence of the giver ... I feel their reaction and the sharing of the pleasure of the gift together is thanks enough ... but otherwise it really doesn't take that much effort to draw a blobby picture, or even stick a printed out photo of boy and toy, onto a piece of card and post it off!
I agree, it's nice to know that something has arrived safely and been appreciated, but stroppy phonecalls on the day following the event are a tad irritating as well - not everything is guaranteed to be presented and paid attention to on the exact date of the event!
Helen
We open one set of presents each day, starting with immediate family on Christmas Day, and write (err ... draw) and Thank you for each item before we open the next set of gifts ...
Hubby's family seem to think I am very very strange for this but the time when we were at their home and played it their way I had an extremely overstimulated boy, who with all his cousins around him wasn't at all sure which gifts belonged to him (He said 'I really really like that fire truck' and was astounded when I said 'It's yours, don't you remember unwrapping it?' LOL!) and was overwhelmed by the huge heap of gifts piled around my feet, and I was totally stressed out trying to write a description of each item and who had given it on the back of a Christmas card!
I confess I don't make my boys, now 6 and 3, produce a thank you for items they have received AND unwrapped in the presence of the giver ... I feel their reaction and the sharing of the pleasure of the gift together is thanks enough ... but otherwise it really doesn't take that much effort to draw a blobby picture, or even stick a printed out photo of boy and toy, onto a piece of card and post it off!
I agree, it's nice to know that something has arrived safely and been appreciated, but stroppy phonecalls on the day following the event are a tad irritating as well - not everything is guaranteed to be presented and paid attention to on the exact date of the event!
Helen
10-06-2011, 04:51 AM
#22
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Montana
Posts: 296
I agree sending thank you notes is the right thing to do, but what about thanking someone in person. Would you still send a written thank you? Also with everyone on the computer these days would it be appropriate to send a thank you via email? When my grandmother passed away my coworkers gave me a sympathy card. I sent them an email thanking them for their kind works and prayers. I have alos sent email thank yous for other things too. Did I do wrong?
10-06-2011, 04:58 AM
#23
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Dover DE
Posts: 4,250
Originally Posted by Robinmg
I agree sending thank you notes is the right thing to do, but what about thanking someone in person. Would you still send a written thank you? Also with everyone on the computer these days would it be appropriate to send a thank you via email? When my grandmother passed away my coworkers gave me a sympathy card. I sent them an email thanking them for their kind works and prayers. I have alos sent email thank yous for other things too. Did I do wrong?
10-06-2011, 05:00 AM
#24
Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Overland Park, Ks
Posts: 83
I totally agree! A thank you note is a gift in itself giving joy to the gift giver also. I'm afraid that the shame is on the parents that didn't insist that thank you notes be written. That being said, I do think the teen rebellion stage has now extended into the 20's and 30's for some:-)
10-06-2011, 05:22 AM
#25
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Headed home
Posts: 2,372
Originally Posted by QuiltnNan
i am generous by nature, but resent the lack of gratitude. should i, or should i not, continue to give gifts to those that may or may not appreciate them?
10-06-2011, 05:26 AM
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 636
This hit a little close to home.... I sent my brother a gift 2 months ago for his birthday, and haven't heard a word. Does it really take that long to even email a thank you? He wouldn't have to hand-write it, or use a stamp! Ah well, I just roll my eyes.....
10-06-2011, 05:29 AM
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 382
I agree with so many of you...I feel like an acknowledgement, whether hand-written, emailed, phoned, or in person validates that my gift was appreciated. And received.
My experience- invited to step MIL's granddaughter's wedding. Total strangers to us, we went to ceremony only. $50 gift card totally ignored, no form of acknowledgement. Invited to her baby shower, you guessed it, didn;t attend, no gift.
Insist that my young son at least call and thank long-distance family for gifts and spend a little time on the phone visiting with them.
Grandchildren (older son) can't manage a thank you for birthday/Christmas gifts. I can't manage a gift any more either. I call, or send a card, but that is it....
Step DIL ALWAYS sends hand written thank you notes, expressing how much they liked any gift and what they will use money for or how the gift will be used.... I am not crazy about her but I will give her a brownie point for her manners.
My experience- invited to step MIL's granddaughter's wedding. Total strangers to us, we went to ceremony only. $50 gift card totally ignored, no form of acknowledgement. Invited to her baby shower, you guessed it, didn;t attend, no gift.
Insist that my young son at least call and thank long-distance family for gifts and spend a little time on the phone visiting with them.
Grandchildren (older son) can't manage a thank you for birthday/Christmas gifts. I can't manage a gift any more either. I call, or send a card, but that is it....
Step DIL ALWAYS sends hand written thank you notes, expressing how much they liked any gift and what they will use money for or how the gift will be used.... I am not crazy about her but I will give her a brownie point for her manners.
10-06-2011, 05:36 AM
#28
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Springfield, Mich(Battle Creek)
Posts: 3,208
I have done so much for people lately and have NEVER recieved a thankyou note!!! I still make my boys send them and they are 27 and 32 yrs.old.
If you can,t write a thankyou note than you don't deserve the gifts. That's just my opinion !!!!Just glade I was brought up with good manners!!!!!
If you can,t write a thankyou note than you don't deserve the gifts. That's just my opinion !!!!Just glade I was brought up with good manners!!!!!
10-06-2011, 05:39 AM
#29
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Vermont
Posts: 6,995
I don't care if I get a TY by email or snail mail, as long as I get one!!
In person or on the phone is great too!! Just so you know your gift is not stuck in the back of a UPS truck somewhere...
My jaw-dropping experience - step DIL and step son got a very nice hand quilted full size bed quilt for wedding present (UPSed to them).
Almost a YEAR later we get a pre-printed, non-personalized, unsigned thank you card - something like I imagine the queen of England sends out to acknowledge a gift. I bet hers are more timely though. I just looked up the wording - "We appreciate the thoughtful tokens of your love" - a $500 quilt is just a token to them.....
In person or on the phone is great too!! Just so you know your gift is not stuck in the back of a UPS truck somewhere...
My jaw-dropping experience - step DIL and step son got a very nice hand quilted full size bed quilt for wedding present (UPSed to them).
Almost a YEAR later we get a pre-printed, non-personalized, unsigned thank you card - something like I imagine the queen of England sends out to acknowledge a gift. I bet hers are more timely though. I just looked up the wording - "We appreciate the thoughtful tokens of your love" - a $500 quilt is just a token to them.....
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