Thank You Notes

fellesferie

My kids just had their birthdays (DD turned 2 on Jan 20 and DS turned 7 on Jan 24), and DS had his first kid/friend party. 

On previous years, we just made a point to call people and say thank you for gifts. It was all family, anyway. But this year we're going to start with him sending thank you notes.

XH sent him a gift (that he opened yesterday), and I'm not sure whether we should send him a thank you note. We're obviously not having DS write one to me & DH, so I'm just not sure how it would come across to send one to XH. Would it seem polite or impersonal?

What do you ladies think? If you are the NCP, would you like getting a thank you note? If you're the CP, do you send one? 

Holly_1007

did he see DS for his birthday at all and get him another gift or anything? if that was his only contact for birthday then DS needs to say thank you.  no he wouldn't send you a thank you card but he would say thank you in person.  perhaps a card is too formal, would DS be willing to call XH and say thanks over the phone?

Ilumine

Honestly, I would have DS draw up a cute picture....

With Monkey, we do thank you cards in bulk, kinda like a an car factory.  Then I send them out to everyone.  I tell her that she is making thank you cards and I list out the people she is sending them too, to include one for Santa, Bubba and Daddy. 

And I send them to everyone. 

I do that so she learns the lesson, so I have a project that day and to sorta shame Bubba and DH and SD (all who never send thank you cards). 

fellesferie

We'll definitely have him call tonight and say thank you.  

My problem with the card is that I can make a case for it in my head either way. If DS sends notes to everyone else, I don't want XH to think I'm being a jerk. But I also don't want to be too formal.

I really like the idea of drawing a picture. 

MarSamWhitney

I will ditto everyone else and say a card is too formal. I would do a picture, or have LO call his father.

FutureMrsWittig

fellesferie:

We'll definitely have him call tonight and say thank you.  

My problem with the card is that I can make a case for it in my head either way. If DS sends notes to everyone else, I don't want XH to think I'm being a jerk. But I also don't want to be too formal.

I really like the idea of drawing a picture. 

Can you take a photo of him with his gift and send it to his dad?  I think that and a phone call would be the perfect balance.

J+R

My DH is the NCP, and I'll tell you... one of the main reasons we quit doing gifts, etc. is because there was never an appreciation for anything we did for her.

I would teach your DS to send thank yous to everyone who buys him a gift. I know that this sounds silly, but ask him if he wants to write you guys a thank you for what you bought him.  OR use it as a learning experience and have him do a thank you card to you guys first - showing him a good, easy way to write a thank you.  And let him mail it to you! And when you get it back, be so incredibly excited when you get it. 

He'll see how special it was to you, and maybe initiate thank yous now  

I dunno - when I was growing up... I couldnt wear it, touch it, play with it, anything unless a thank you was written.