Absolutely. It's basic etiquette. Were actually working on the thank you notes from my son's 7th birthday this weekend. He has to write 17. It's a lot so we break them up over several days. I do not expect the same detail that a 10 year old would provide but I do expect him to write them. When my kids were very little, I wrote them. Once they were old enough to draw a picture or paint something, I had them decorate a blank card and tell me what liked about the gift and wrote the note. Once old enough to write their name (around 4), they signed them. Last year, when my son turned 6, we used the fill in the blank type.

Starting at 5 my kids wrote every thank you note for every gift they have ever received from a relative, friend, neighbor, etc. This includes the bodies of the text and includes parties where they had more than 30 kids invited. My kids could play with the toy before the note was written but could not open the next gift until the note was written.

Yes, I made my kid write thank you notes. I write out what he can say, and he just copies. Do a few a day and if you get them done within a month, good. Some people say thank you at the party which is sufficient, but if you give a gift and don't hear a thank you or get a thank you note, it's rude.

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Thank you note for a gift. Doesn't matter how many; the principle is the same.

What if you say no gifts please?

OP here. No party. DC decided that no party is better than writing 25 thank you notes. Back to our usual routine of taking a best friend on a special excursion. 3rd grade by the way. My preference too.

Huh?

Of course. Thank you notes are what separate us from the animals.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guaranteed you're going to get a 5pg thread on the merits, pros, and cons of this decision. We're inviting 18 people to DD's party. She will write thank you notes to all, and to any grandparents, aunts, uncles, or godparents who give her a gift as well.

We're just old school that way.

Old school is that you thank the giver in person at the party. You only send thank you notes to distant relatives who mailed the present.

Not opening presents, and then writing thank you notes to everyone is a very new concept.

Define "very new". I'm in my 40s and always had to write thank you notes.

NP. I think you misunderstood what that poster meant by "new concept." When I was a kid (I'm 47), and even when my early 20s, late teen nieces and nephews were kids, the birthday child opened the gifts at the actual party. Now people bring gifts to a party that are then opened after all the guests are gone.

And yes, the PPs who note that thanking the giver in person when you open the gift in front of them is adequate thanks - that is according to the actual "old school" etiquette books. It never hurts to write a note, however.

My 6 year old DD wrote every single one of her 22 thank you notes before she played with a single toy.

She kind of enjoyed it. I did a little help in dictating suggestions - I would say "How about 'Dear Larla, thanks for the puppr dog. i love pets. Love, Darlene'"

Yes. Thank you note for a gift. Doesn't matter how many; the principle is the same.

Yes.