As you pack the kids into the car, you begin the checklist. “Where’s Bobby? Do you have your coats? Amy, did Grandma give you that bracelet to keep or were you supposed to leave it behind?” You finally pull out of the driveway, waving madly at the front window of the house, where Grandma is watching. You are halfway home when you realize you left something off the checklist. “Who thanked Grandma for their gifts? Bobby? Amy? John? No one?” When you get home, the first thing you do is make a call so that the kids can thank Grandma one after another for those gifts. As you hang up the phone, you remember writing thank you cards for the gifts you received when you were a child.

Why not order thank you notes for all your kids so that the next time they get gifts, they’ll be able to send their relatives a tangible expression of thanks instead of making a quick phone call? The people receiving the notes will appreciate getting them and may just brag to all their friends about their young relatives’ amazing manners! To make sure your children are as pleased with your idea as you are, you should:

• Make sure you choose designs your children will like. Monkeys and princesses are much more appealing than a stylish thin stripe.
• Look for designs that make writing notes as simple as filling in the blanks for your younger children. This way, they won’t be overwhelmed by a scary blank space.