https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 07 Jun 2026 09:56:40 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921684 Tue, 29 Dec 2020 17:45:30 +0000 codeitall 2921684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do thank yous in person and over the phone/video. I always thought it was nicer for them to see the kids enjoying it, so I snap pics the first time they use something and send it with a quick note about them loving it. I loathe how far away our mailboxes are (10 min round trip), so I avoid using them at all costs.</p> <p>I do write thank you cards for daycare and teachers though because I can't really send pics for that and they're hand delivered. Not sure what stage I should get kids involved on those. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921681 Tue, 29 Dec 2020 12:55:29 +0000 caitcat 2921681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My almost six year old is slowly working her way through Christmas thank-yous. Writing is really tedious for her, and she was getting frustrated that she'd wear out before saying everything she wanted to say (despite our encouragement to keep it super short!). So we switched gears today and let her dictate her notes to us to record, and then she's tracing them onto her own paper using her light table. She thinks it's load of fun now and actually asking to work on more this afternoon. Keeping my fingers crossed the enthusiasm sticks around! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921680 Tue, 29 Dec 2020 12:42:50 +0000 wrkbrk 2921680@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catgirl: I’m with you. I think thank you cards are very important. My son is used to them by now (I’m admittedly a little neurotic about getting them out in a timely fashion). He’s 5 and like others, I have him dictate what he liked about the gift, and then I have him write “Love, [name].”<br /> But I certainly have to break it up if there’s more than a handful, and sit with him. He wouldn’t do them if left to his own devices 🤣 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921677 Tue, 29 Dec 2020 10:31:45 +0000 Bluemasonjar 2921677@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We send thank you notes for all birthday presents but I am not as good about it at the holidays. Usually family is giving them gifts directly so they are able to say thank you in person or we Facetime when they are opened. </p> <p>I don't necessarily expect a formal thank you note from others but at least would like a text to confirm receipt of a gift I have sent. I hate wondering if it ever arrived. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921670 Mon, 28 Dec 2020 21:20:09 +0000 Silva 2921670@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>writing is tiring and its hard for new writers to get their ideas onto paper. we've had success sitting down with her and writing a draft together (she dictates/works with me and I write it down) and then she copies the final draft. Get some cute cards and stickers and a nice pen. Light a candle, put on some nice music, get out a snack. Write your thank you notes or a letter to a friend at the same time she does hers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921667 Mon, 28 Dec 2020 18:22:05 +0000 catgirl 2921667@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@minimalistmom: We typically send them to all gift givers, even the people we are with while opening. That's what my family did growing up, so it's just what I'm used to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921666 Mon, 28 Dec 2020 17:21:49 +0000 minimalistmom 2921666@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just curious, do you only send thank you cards to those who weren't there when you opened the gift (so you weren't able to thank in person) or all gift givers? I have pretty much stopped doing thank you cards if we are able to thank people in person. It always felt so redundant. My sister sent my kids presents and I sent her a video of them opening the gifts and saying "thank you." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921664 Mon, 28 Dec 2020 16:31:12 +0000 catgirl 2921664@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@poppygirl15: it makes me happy to hear other people care about them too! It’s 50/50 in my social circle. But super important to me, so we will continue to do them. I get so annoyed at the lack of them from certain people. I love getting physical cards but would be happy with an email, text, or video over nothing. </p> <p>She sat down and did three more today while I was doing other chores. So only two more left! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921659 Mon, 28 Dec 2020 13:25:28 +0000 Lahela017 2921659@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@poppygirl15: yes! We never got a thank you note from DH's cousin for a wedding gift 5 years ago and it still irritates me.</p> <p>My daughter is only 1.5, so I wrote the thank you cards "from her". We only do thank you cards for people we didn't see in person. Usually that's only my husband's Grandma, obviously more this year though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921658 Mon, 28 Dec 2020 13:21:22 +0000 poppygirl15 2921658@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catgirl: we do essentially the same thing as you. I’m glad to see so many other people are thank you note writers. I feel like it’s a dying art.</p> <p>And, on that note and not to hijack this thread, but does anyone else get annoyed when family doesn’t return the favor? I get no acknowledgment (not even a text!) from my nephews on DH’s side and it really irks me. Sigh. I expect it by now, but still... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921655 Mon, 28 Dec 2020 08:27:13 +0000 charm55 2921655@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As my kids play with a new toy I snap a picture to text to the gift giver. My girls will type out a little thank you message to go along with it. I think getting to use my phone is very motivating haha. The message is often “thank you for the _____” and a boatload of emojis but it’s easy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921654 Mon, 28 Dec 2020 06:20:02 +0000 catgirl 2921654@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: @Jess1483: Thanks! Sounds like similar approaches - I didn't think the expectation was too off! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921652 Sun, 27 Dec 2020 21:17:12 +0000 Jess1483 2921652@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you notes are required for birthdays and Christmas. Like you, they have growing responsibilities. This year:<br /> 5 year old: Recipient's name. Thank you. His name. Nice picture. I'll add a sentence.<br /> 8 year old: Entire note with picture. 2-3 sentences. (He's actually amazing at thank you notes, so it's easy).<br /> I write "from" the baby (20 months) and she scribbles. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921651 Sun, 27 Dec 2020 20:19:31 +0000 bhbee 2921651@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I definitely make them write them. I always say if you want to be able to receive all these nice gifts, you need to show appreciation for them. Not negotiable. Of course my 3rd kid is strongest willed so who knows by the time she’s old enough to write :silly: </p> <p>I think 1st was the first year my oldest had to write the whole note herself for all of them. But she liked writing. She definitely copied a template for the sentences that year (that I wrote out so she could copy) and filled in names, gifts, what she liked about it to make it personal. So maybe 3-4 real sentences. I aimed for 1-2 per day after a bday party. This year in 3rd they practiced writing thank you notes at school, so maybe that’s a good point to aim for writing whole notes on their own. </p> <p>My son is in K this year and he definitely wouldn’t do more than 1 per day, he is less motivated for sure, but copywork is great handwriting exercise so I’ll definitely have him do something more than just his name. We need to do Christmas and then his 6th bday is in a few weeks! Last year he wrote his name and the other person’s name, I think. So very similar to you and I’d just pace it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921650 Sun, 27 Dec 2020 18:34:55 +0000 peaches1038 2921650@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you notes are a must for birthdays and Christmas. My just turned 5 year old tells me his favorite thing or what he’s excited about for each card as I write and then signs his name. They all follow the same format:</p> <p>Dear So and So. Thank you for thinking of me this Christmas. I love the LEGO set and puzzle. “I am excited to do them with my dad.”<br /> Love, “writes name” </p> <p>I don’t think I’ll have him write the whole card at 6. Writing is a lot of work and there’s usually 7-10 to do. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921648 Sun, 27 Dec 2020 16:27:17 +0000 catgirl 2921648@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@HappyBaker: thanks for the input! We have done the fill in the blank style cards before. I offered them to her this year and she is the one that said she prefers to do her own. But maybe I'll try to offer again.</p> <p>@erinbaderin: We do videos for some people but I know some wouldn't be okay with it. She writes notes and cards to friends and family all the time that are longer so I don't feel like it's a crazy expectation. But I can see how doing it by choice can feel different from this. </p> <p>She did four more since I posted this two hours ago and two of them were longer than I expected, so maybe she was just in a mood earlier. I also need to accept they just might take longer than I would like. I think I feel the rush since most of them are also for birthday gifts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921646 Sun, 27 Dec 2020 15:55:06 +0000 erinbaderin 2921646@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do thank you videos for the people we don’t FaceTime on Christmas, but it isn’t too many people - just three this year. My son is six and getting him to do 12 of these would be a total nightmare. We had him write the card to his teacher and even that single one involved a lot of moaning. I do think that two sentences to 12 people seems like a lot - even the work he brings home from school is usually only a sentence or so. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921645 Sun, 27 Dec 2020 14:24:24 +0000 HappyBaker 2921645@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don’t do them for Christmas because they don’t get gifts from many people, but we do do them for birthdays. I think the act of writing is still super tiring for my kids (almost 6 and 8), so combining thinking of what to say plus writing it down makes them definitely not want to do it. So instead I use these templates, and have them tell me what to write. The recipient can tell the kid helped since it’s in kid language (“I like it because I wanted this my whole life”, “because my mom would never buy me this”, etc.), but we get through them quicker and with less complaining! I just make them write their name, and they can color or add whatever else if they feel like it. Sometimes my 8 year old wants to write her own note to people in a blank card so she will, but knowing she can fall back on these makes it easier.</p> <p><a href="http://www.witandwander.org/fill-in-the-blank-thank-you-notes-for-kids/" rel="nofollow">http://www.witandwander.org/fill-in-the-blank-thank-you-notes-for-kids/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/thank-you-cards-2#post-2921644 Sun, 27 Dec 2020 13:48:59 +0000 catgirl 2921644@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you have your kids write thank you cards?We do and we have upped how much of the process DD is required to do each year, but this year she is being a grump about the whole thing. She gets to use all gifts on Christmas day and for two days after but then we put them away until the cards are done. That was great motivation last year, but this year she doesn't seem to care :silly: </p> <p>This is how we have done it each year:<br /> Age 2: we had her color (mostly scribble) on the cards<br /> Age 3: we had her sign her name and color a picture<br /> Age 4: we had her write Love, name<br /> Age 5: she wrote the names of who the card was for and signed love, name<br /> Age 6 (now): we are having her write the whole note. She has a very simple template - literally two sentences. And we are letting her do combo cards for people who gave birthday and Christmas gifts since her birthday is two weeks before Christmas. </p> <p>How do you handle thank you cards in your house? Any advice to encourage DD to just get them done? She has 12 to do total and has done 3 so far... </p>