What's with the lady in my neighborhood who cannot be bothered with thank you notes?

[Anonymous]

I have a neighbor on my street who doesn't write THANK YOU notes when given gifts, birthday gifts for her child (she doesn't help the kid write any).

During the time she has lived on our street, I've noticed this. I don't know her that well, but was invited to her 40th birthday party several years ago.. I brought a gift Amazon card and a nice card..no thank you note. No acknowledgement or thank you verbally. Nada.

Her daughter turned 7 a few weeks ago, and my daughter was invited. WE brought a nice gift and card. Again, no thank you.


Huh?? Drives me crazy. When I see her she just waves and walks on.

Very educated woman but this is truly classless in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Get over it.

[Anonymous]

Nobody cares

[Anonymous]

2 classless responses..

[Anonymous]

What's with the crazy lady down the street that holds grudges for years over things like thank you notes? Seriously, I've heard she keeps a list of all the times that my lack of thank you notes have bothered her, for years! Then, she talks to everyone she knows and even people she doesn't about it. How can I get her to stop this obsession and mind her own business?

[Anonymous]

It wouldn't surprise me if people thought this of me. I do try to do thank you notes, but honestly sometimes I just forget. It wasn't something I was raised to do so it isn't a reflex for me. That said, I ALWAYS say thank you, either in person or over the phone or email. But an actual physical thank you note has always been something I can't seem to master.

So, that is why I sometimes don't. But it sounds like she just doesn't like you, and given your characterization of her as "classless" I can't say I blame her.

[Anonymous]

Bad manners. I don't care about thank you notes, but I at least want someone to say "thank you" when I give them something.

[Anonymous]

When people go out of their way to spend their hard earned money on you and/or your kid, it would behoove you to thank them. It is just plain manners and thoughtfulness. I shudder that people don't teach their kids how to say "thank you" for a gift.

[Anonymous]

Some of the people on this board are such pigs..

[Anonymous]

Even a thank you text would be better than nothing.

[Anonymous]

I am a consummate thank you note writer. My mother DRILLED into our heads growing up. It was painful and miserable to sit down and the table and do it when we were young and just wanted to play. I love her for it now.

HOWEVER, posts like yours make me freak out that if one of my thank you notes got lost in the mail some crazy b*tch is holding a grudge.

I write the notes and make my kids write the notes to show appreciation. Also- to acknowledge gifts by mail, etc. I write them (or help) my kids write them for all bday, Xmas gifts, etc. About 50% of the kids whose parties we attend send thank-you notes. I don't think any differently of the people that don't send them. My kids do LOVE getting them in the mail from friends. There is so few letters sent these days-it is exciting to see their name on the envelope.

I have heard that the Obama administration does not send thank you notes to donors....even major donors. Bill Mahr contributed $1 million and it was not acknowledged..another rich celebrity on his show said the same thing and it was the talk of the town. Many questioned donating again. NOW--I KNOW, I KNOW--the President shouldn't be writing them. We need him focused. But--WTH???--doesn't he have a Social Secretary like every President before him? Things like this turn me off.

As you get older--not writing a thank you note after an interview for a job, etc. or for a nice dinner, etc. does reflect poorly on you. I will continue to teach my kids social manners since it is a valuable life skill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bad manners. I don't care about thank you notes, but I at least want someone to say "thank you" when I give them something.

OP didn't say the neighbor doesn't say thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of the people on this board are such pigs..

A pig for not sending a thank you note??? What a sheltered world you live in.

[Anonymous]

OP here..the neighbor has never verbally said "Thank you" for the gift card, birthday gifts you sent, etc..

[Anonymous]

She doesn't like you.