Monday, December 5, 2011

The No Thank You Cards



Got the thank you notes in the mail from the most recent birthday party. What an ordeal that is. To try and figure out who gave you what.

All the local kids go to birthday parties. They bring presents, mostly gift cards at this stage, and have a good time. Cake and pizza is served and everyone has fun.

Well, guess what, I hate the thank you notes. Why the heck do we need to send them out? Waste a stamp; waste the mailman's time and waste the environment.

No one wants them anyway. We get those thank you notes in the mail. Our kids think it's another party. Oh, boy. And it's a stinking thank you note destined to be fired hard into the nearest trash can.

Can we just say thank you at the party and move on? Or at least write, you know what, this so-called gift you brought might work for a two-year-old, you idiot.

Of course thank you notes have their place. But not for kiddie birthday parties. Do kids collect them to show that someone likes them?

They are useless. They say the same thing. Thank you for coming to my party. Hope you had a good time. Thank you for the gift card.

Skip it the next time and no one will miss it. Not the kid who had the party and not the mailman.

6 comments:

  1. I could not disagree more Bill. Thank you notes teach children to be grateful. They are common courtesies in a polite society in response to someone who bought you a gift.. They don't have to be elaborate either. As for remembering who brought what, that's the parents job to write down. It isn't hard to do. Sometimes small efforts speak volumes.

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  2. I also disagree. Thank you notes teach children how to be gracious and thankful. They have to have this skill later in life- may as well learn it as a child so it is a natural response when they are older. Someone took the time to choose a gift he or she thought that the child might like, wrapped it, brought it to the party, etc. It is a common courtesy that everyone should do. And with the "big" parties, some children don't even open the gifts at the party. So the child who is giving the gift never sees him open it, never knows if he likes it, etc. My child is always disappointed when he doesn't get to see the birthday child open the gift. Otherwise it's kind of like an admittance ticket- here's the gift, throw it in the bin- and I'm in, never to see how you enjoy that gift, etc.

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  3. I am in the stage of life that makes me think part of the problem with children's manners is due to their parents. You need to thank people and writing a "thank you" note is the best sign of being really grateful. I understand that young children need to be urged and helped in this area but all of your children are more than old enough and capable of doing this on their own. God blessed us to live in a nation of innumerable freedoms and to be grateful is the very smallest of responses to His generosity that we can offer. Teach your children well.

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  4. Look what I found: http://www.dadwagon.com/2010/12/23/no-thank-you-cards/

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  5. So would you mind if I say "thank you for the laugh" as long as I don't put it in a card?

    :+D

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  6. Sorry. You could not be more wrong on this one. You don't want to sit with your kids to write them? Then write "no gifts" on the invitation. Otherwise, help your kid write them, make a nice comment when your child receives one and get over it.

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