I don't know how to write a thank you

[Barmaid]

That was a question recently posted and caught my eye and I immediately thought "No, and neither do my stepchildren".

Do you still write thank you letters for gifts received? This was instilled into me as a child and I still do so now. Are we, as a society, becoming ungrateful?

[China Doll]

More likely to send a text/email or make a phone call than write a card but yes, I do still say thank you. It's rude not to.

[anneasquith]

i think the art of letter writing has gone barmaid.........txt, telephones and emails now .

[sara3]

it's important to say a heartfelt thank you, but I'm not sure that letters are necessary.

that said, my girlie was 17 a couple of weeks ago and she bought thank you cards. I was very pleased with her.. although I never got one, cheeky cow!

[dotty.]

I have been writing the same thank you letter 3 times a year to my Godmother since i was about 5. One after Christmas, one after Easter and one after my birthday. I must have written 150 + thank you letters to her maybe. Sadly my kids grew out of writing them and all efforts by me to continue the tradition have failed miserably, I think some of it is ingratiutude, as they always expected more than I did as a child and small gifts never seemed enough for them.

[boxtops]

I do, BM, it was a ritual after Christmas (and double for me with my birthday in the same week). My brother's children never wrote. We have another younger relative who has still not thanked us for their wedding present and 2 children's new baby gifts. They ain't getting any more - even an email or text would have sufficed. Everyone who gave us wedding presents got a thank you note - if I can do it, why can't they? It's manners!
However - not everyone does it - my ex MIL thought it very odd when I wrote to thank her for presents, she told me not to do it again.

[Barmaid]

I can't help thinking its a generational thing.

I don't necessarily hand write a thank you letter but as Sara says, heartfelt thanks are always forwarded in some way shape or form.

When I suggested my step children write thank you notes for the very generous Christmas presents they had received the older one looked at me like I was mental!!!!! You should have heard the exchange of words we had! Yet my grandparents will write and thank me for any gift or lunch I buy or cook in such a lovely personal way.

[factor-fiction]

There are quite a few posters on here who never (or or rarely) say thank you.

[Caran]

My 5 grandchildren (ages 5-14) always make and write thankyou cards, Birthdays, Christmas, Easter and any treats they have, Panto trips and days out.Mum has encouraged this from birth by doing it for them until they could join in and take part.

[starone]

Thank you letters or cards are only required if the present is given 'long distance'. Most of the presents I give and receive are personally given and personally thanked for at the time. My husband once asked me why we were not taught to send thankyou cards and was quite surprised when I pointed out to him that no-one outside of the immediate family ever gave us anything, so it was not necessary. We were brought up in the 1930's depression so we were all busy worrying about where the next penny was coming from.

[JonnyBoy12]

Well, was going to say send an email or text, but have been pipped to the post. Yes, it is only good manners to write a thank you note. That is what I was brought up to do, and good manners cost nothing. Other ABers agree with me as well.

[DTCwordfan]

I prefer a thank you card to an e-mail.....

and my young ones (under 10) have been brought up to send thank you cards. It isn't dead as an art yet.

[karenmac60]

I agree with Starbuck - if gifts are given in person then a verbal (and genuine) thank you is enough. I would only send (or get my daughter to send) a card if I hadn't seen the person to thank them in person.