A Mum decided she was no longer going to remind her teens to write thank-you notes. That year their Aunt never received thanks for the checks she gave the teens for their birthdays. The next year things were different. The teens each visited to thank her in person!
“What caused the change in behaviour?” a friend asked the Aunt.
“Oh, that’s easy.” the Aunt replied. “This year I didn’t sign the checks.” 🙂
I quit sending gifts to some of my nieces and nephews when thank-you notes stopped arriving. Their parents asked me why, and I told them that I didn’t feel like sending gifts that the kids couldn’t bother to thank me for. They were offended! Can you believe it?
That’s brilliant! I have many relatives … the best family I could wish for actually, and have tried to keep up with helping my little kids write or call with thanks for gifts mailed to them. I plan to get back into it this week, having just celebrated 2 birthdays. For a couple of years I found it hard to keep up, with illness etc, but feeling bad about not writing and then trying to express it in a group letter once a year was more exhausting than just writing promptly would have been. I’m one of those who can never just sign a birthday card with To and Love from, I have to personalise it because I care. I need to find a workable balance.
Too funny!
This is interesting. I do think it’s appropriate to write thank you notes and have hounded my kids to do it …as well as sent some very over-due one’s myself just to be sure I at least showed gratitude no matter how late.
However, I try not to expect thank you notes for the kindnesses I do. They do make me feel great but I don’t give gifts or do kind things just to get a thank you note. So I decided to not worry if I don’t get them. It’s rather freeing! “Whatever you do, do it unto the Lord….”