The Gift of Gratitude!
December 17th, 2008 by Guest Teacher Blogger
By Mindy Lockard, etiquette consultant in Eugene, Oregon, who teaches Teen Etiquette, Adult Dining 101 and other courses in etiquette. Mindy is a great source for all your etiquette training needs.
December is a perfect time to polish up on the art of the handwritten thank-you note! A handwritten thank-you note is a kind gesture and a habit your child will thank you for instilling. If your child is too young to write but old enough to express their feelings, you can write their thoughts, and they can sign or scribble their name. A note with the child’s own words will mean much more to the gift giver than a note from the mother expressing her hopes for how the child will feel about the gift!
Photo: DeLucaFoto
Make it fun! If thank-you notes are presented as a chore, they will be seen as a chore! Because we have always made it fun, my four-year-old, loves dictating notes, even though she is not allowed to play with her toys until the thank-you is written. Start with fun supplies for your child to use when they write their notes. Make a thank-you box full of pens, crayons, paper or stationery, and stickers. Here are some age guidelines to prepare your child for writing their own thank-you notes:
0 to 2 years of age—Adult writes the thank-you note.
2 to 3 years of age—Adult writes the note, and child can scribble/decorate part of the note.
3 to 5 years of age—Adult writes a message from the child by using prompting questions. Child signs his/her name and colors the card.
4-plus years of age—Child writes note while adult helps him/her with spelling and wording. If a child is in the early stages of writing, let him/her write on the card. The parent can add a translation under a word that may be difficult for the recipient to read.
Remember, children model what they see. If they see you writing thank-you notes with little effort, they too will see thank-you notes as something that is easy to do. The act of writing thank-you notes is an important discipline to instill; the exercise of taking the time to sincerely express gratitude for another’s generosity (acts of kindness or gifts) is at the heart of the manner!
Visit Manner of the Month for more everyday etiquettes, and/or Mindy’s personal website.
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