Teaching Gratitude

I don't remember writing a lot of thank you notes as a kid. I'm sure I appreciated when people gave me things, but sitting down and writing them a note to tell them just doesn't ring a bell.

As an adult, I've been more aware of how it feels to receive a heartfelt "thank you" and how important it is to teach my kids to show their own appreciation. It's something that I hope will come naturally to them over the years.

With everything being so media-focused these days, people rarely give hand-written notes anymore. When was the last time you received a card or note in the mail instead of a text message, email, tweet or e-card? When was the last time you sent one?

I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, I'm just hoping to make you think about it. There's something special about someone taking the time to hand-write something to you.

One of the ways I've tried to teach gratitude to Ryan and Kaylin is having them write thank you notes for gifts. In the beginning, I would write the note while they would decorate the card with stickers. Then they learned to sign their own name and draw a picture. Now Ryan composes the whole card himself and Kaylin is well on her way to doing the same.

I know it seems like just one more thing to add to your to-do list, but for me, the lesson is worth it. We try to do thank you notes within a day of receiving a gift, otherwise I usually forget. While the kids decorate the cards, I address and stamp the envelopes. The whole process can be done in under an hour.

If I think about it during the party, I try to take pictures of the birthday child with each of their friends to include in the thank you note, but it doesn't always happen. This year, I took a group picture and included it with the card. I fit two pictures per 4x6 print and cut them so they fit in the envelopes.



I remember the first time I was asked not to give someone a thank you note. She brought me dinner after Kaylin was born and said, "I know you appreciate it and I know you're probably short on time, so don't bother sending me a thank you card." I respected the request, but I have to admit that it felt odd to hear her ask me not to tell her that I loved the meal and appreciated her thoughtfulness. I'm sure she was trying to let me off the hook, but it kind of ended up robbing me of repaying her kindness.

For some, it's not a big deal, but I've decided that thank you notes will become a part of the post-party/post-Christmas routine for our family. I hope it will instill a greater sense of gratitude through the years. If not, at least the gift-giver will get something other than bills in the mail!