The Christmas Thank You Cards

Most of us would agree that manners have largely fallen by the wayside in today’s society. Particularly at Christmas, we often take gift giving and receiving for granted and few real thank yous are exchanged. Here are some ways to ensure that your family learns real appreciation during the holiday season.

Write thank you notes – Especially if you open a gift outside of the presence of the person who presented it, you should write a thank you note. A handwritten, personal note of thanks is not only polite, but sincerely appreciated. Always make them hand written and mailed, not sent via email. Make writing thank you notes fun and special by letting your children pick out their own thank you cards (there is some beautiful stationery at MyExpression.com) and writing them on their own.

Have children open gifts slowly enough that they know what they received – At gatherings where children will be opening gifts from many relatives, avoid the temptation to let the kids have a free-for-all, ripping packages in such a frenzy that they have no idea what they received, let alone from whom. Teach your children to open the presents one at a time, thanking the gift giver, before moving on to another present. Your children will be more appreciative of the generosity of their relatives and your relatives will see that their gifts are truly acknowledged and appreciated. You may not be able to accomplish this feat with a child until he/she is past the age of four, but keep trying.

Have kids help with charity events – Most parents today believe that their children are somewhat spoiled and certainly that they take their abundant life for granted. There are a few ways that you can help your children to understand how fortunate they are:

• Make them a part of charity work by donating their old toys to a homeless shelter. When kids see poverty for themselves, they often show a tremendous amount of compassion and develop empathy for others.
• Take children to help buy groceries for an adopted needy family. Most middle class children never give a second thought to the food in the cupboard. Helping them realize that they have more than others can help them be more appreciative.
• Spend a day building a Habitat for Humanity home as a family. Your family will work hard, but at the end of the day you will see a significant accomplishment.

When you take your children to participate in charity drives, be mindful of their age, and ensure that what they witness is age appropriate. It might not be wise to take your young children to a homeless shelter or soup kitchen. The experience should be rewarding and encourage empathy, but it should not be frightening.

Teaching manners and genuine appreciation can be difficult in our over indulged world. It all starts with showing appreciation ourselves, not only for the gifts we receive but for the things that others do for us. Set a good example for your children by writing thank you notes and showing appreciation in other ways to the people who are important in your life.