In the age of the Internet, the simple act of writing letters and thank you cards seems to have become a lost art. Email is instant, has no postage to deal with, and it takes less time to type in a few words and hit ‘enter’ than it does to find a card in a store or make one ourselves. But when you want to say ‘thanks’ in a special way, it’s hard to beat the thoughtfulness of a real thank you card. And when your child has been given a gift, or someone has done something for your child, that warrants a special thank you, you have an opportunity to teach your child about expressing gratitude and showing them how thoughtful saying “thank you” can be.
For bulk thank yous, there’s absolutely no reason you can purchase a package of thank you cards. Let your child help pick out the cards. It can be fun to browse in the store, reading the messages inside the cards and choosing the ones with the picture you like best. Kids like to be involved in these kinds of choices so asking for a child’s input will make them look more fondly on the whole idea.
The key to giving a thoughtful “thank you” while using a package of identical cards is what you write inside each one. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a quick “Thanks!” written inside, a mention of what you’re thanking the person for shows that it was a thoughtful note, and can make them feel like you appreciate the gift or act even more. Letting a child write the message, or letting very small children sign their name or make some kind of mark, makes it even more special and fun for kids.
If you want to make more elaborate thank you notes, you can make your own cards. You can buy computer programs that allow you to design a card yourself, from the images and clip art used to the message. Or you can use an online service that allows you to do the same, either printing your creation yourself or having a certain number of the finished cards mailed to you.
The most fun way, though, especially for kids, is to simply make a handmade card. Look in any craft store for colored pens, stencils, even some scrapbooking materials that can help you create a card for that special thank you. A nice Christmas gift could prompt a thank you card that looks like a wrapped Christmas present, or a Christmas tree, for instance. Use your imagination and let your child have lots of input on how the card should look. It’ll be a fun project that shows the importance of expressing gratitude and putting some thought into it, even in the age of instant emails.
And for the recipient of your homemade or personalized thank you card, the thank you card will seem like a gift in itself.
